Attack Of The AUs
by deathraptor22
Summary: While tangling with a particularly powerful which Sam and Dean find themselves throw into a series of alternate universes. And they keep running into themselves, which leads to some very interesting conversations.
1. There Goes The Neighborhood

After walking for what had seen like forever, Sam and Dean at last came to the small, shabby cabin in the woods.

They were in a small town in Iowa, investigating a strange string of attacks. It had all started when a man had his eyes gouged out in his locked apartment, then a woman had practically every bone in her body broken by an invisible attacker. That was the one that got the guy's attention, seeing as five witnesses claimed she had been beaten by air. A couple became conjoined at the hip. While at the police station, Dean had overheard one of the deputies talk about being sent out to speak to a local hermit, an eccentric woman that went by the name of Little Tree, and her pretending not to be home. When the officer mentioned being attacked by bees that appeared out of nowhere when he tried to knock down the door in response to strange smells, it wasn't hard for the hunter to put two and two together. After asking around, they discovered that only two people had ever seen Little Tree, and both described her differently. Fortunately, everyone agreed on where the cabin was.

And now, they were looking down an paintless cabin with ramshackle door, and a caved-in front porch.

"What, do think Dean?" Sam asked, "Witch's house?"

"Yeah," Dean replied, "Definitely."

They started sneaking into the clearing, going to the side of the house so the witch Little Tree wouldn't see them coming, when suddenly, Dean doubled over in pain.

"Dean!" Sam shouted, grabbing his brother's arm, trying to keep him steady.

Dean's mouth opened and a mixture of cherry pits and bile fell out. "Must've," He puked again Sprung," puked again, "Some kind of," more puke, "Trap." He stopped puking, but paused for breath, "A hex bag or," he puked up more cherry pits, "Something."

"Alright, let's get out of here," Sam said, turning Dean around, "We'll fix this, regroup, and come back more prepared."

As the men hurried away, a woman's voice behind them say, "Not so fast."

Both of them froze in place. "Turn around." The voice instructed. Sam turned around to see a delicate figure standing on the caved-in porch. The figure gestured for them to come and suddenly Sam felt his legs moving, sorely against their will, dragging Dean along with him. Whoever this witch was, she was powerful.

Sam suddenly found himself unable to move when they got to the porch. This gave him and Dean the opportunity to get a good look at the witch who, at the moment had complete control of their movements. The first witness had described as a hunched over elderly woman, her skin craved with lines and her hair frizzled and gray, while the second had described her as a freckled red-head with eyes of emerald green. The woman before them did not match either description. She appeared to be in her early twenties, maybe even late teens, standing at five-five, with the fragile tiny bones of a sparrow, a long mane of white hair, and wide and intense eyes the color of ripe plums. Very pretty, very innocent-looking. Yet at the same time, there was something eerie about her.

"You must be the Winchester brothers," She said, not hint of surprise in her voice, as if she had been informed of their arrival in advance, "It's Sam and Dean, right?"

Seeing no point in denying it, the guys nodded. Well, Sam nodded, Dean started to, but after his sick spell, didn't had the strength and hung his head limply. When he finally looked up, Dean began, "Looks like you know who we are, so I guess the question is-" His voice trailed off as he vomited another steaming pile of bile and cherry pits.

"I have something for that," The woman, Little Tree presumably, said, turning around and walking back towards the door, "Follow me."

Once again the pair found they had no choice but to follow the witch into her house.

The inside of the house, at least the kitchen, was surprisingly nicer than the outside. Small, with plan-wood paneled walls and a matching floor. At the center of the room was a round smooth table: a table covered with ingredients for what looked like a very complicated, and very serious spell.

Little Tree picked up a bottle of electric blue liquid from the counter. "Here," She said, thrusting it at Dean, "This will stop the vomiting."

Dean removed the cork and started guzzling the concoction as Little Tree walked over to table and started throwing things in the bowl. "Ah, what are you doing?" He asked, even though he had the feeling that the spell was meant for them.

"Look, it's nothing personal," Little Tree said, looking up from her work, "I just don't want to die."

"Well," Dean replied, "Maybe you should have thought about that before you turned this place into crazy town."

Sam shot Dean a warning look. So far this witch had the power to change her looks, or at least appear different to different people which was something new, control people's action, not to mention what she had done to the people of town and the hex bag trap, and he was baiting her? Seriously?

"I only hexed people who had it coming!" Little Tree snapped, into the bowl "You don't know what these people did!"

"Actually, we do," Sam spoke up, hoping to defuse the situation, "We saw the police reports on the first two and we figure out what was going on with the third one pretty quickly." As it had turned out the man whose eyes she had removed was a peeping Tom, the woman with the broken bones had left her child in a similar state, and the woman in the conjoined couple was married-just not to the guy she was conjoined to.

"So you see what I had to do it, right?" Little Tree asked, an almost desperate tone to her voice, "Those horrible people had to be stopped!"

"Alright, they had to be stopped," Sam said, "We can work from that. If you would just-put down whatever your pouring into that bowl-"

"Lamb's blood," Little Tree interjected.

"Excuse me?" Sam replied, slightly thrown.

"I'm pouring lamb's blood into the bowl," Little Tree explained, "And that was the last ingredient."

"Last ingredient for what?" Dean asked, secretly searching for his gun. Sam was doing in the same.

"I just need a few days head start," Little Tree continued, "If you don't interfere you should be back here in three days time."

"Well, sorry to tell you this, lady," Dean said, his hand gripping around the hand of his gun, "But, that ain't gonna happen."

Even though they drew their guns it was too late. She had already started to chant. " Skicka dessa fiender till mig härifrån Skicka dessa fiender till mig härifrån," Suddenly, a strong win filled the cabin, knocking over jars, and causing Little Tree's red dress billow and sending her wispy and fine locks in every detection as she continued to chant, unnoticing, " Till världens okända tills jag kalla dem att återvända!" Till världens okända tills jag kalla dem att återvända!" Suddenly, the men were surrounded by bright, blue-white light, and for a few second gravity seemed to lose power, then they both fell to the ground. They still couldn't see, but they realized they were lying on someone when that someone started wiggling and a oddly familiar male voice said, "Get off of me!"

They slide off the stranger and at least their vision cleared, but they were completely shocked to find they were staring into the face of a younger Sam.

 **AN: So, what do think? Love it? Hate it? Have no clue what's going. All you got to do is post a review in the little box below and let me know!**


	2. Wait, What?

The younger Sam seemed just as surprised and confused as they were. The three men scrabbled to their feet, pointing pistols at each other. "Dean!" The younger Sam-the older Winchesters guessed around 22 or 23-called out.

"Ah, right here," Dean said, not really thinking.

"I don't think he's talking about you," Sam said," Well, he was talking about you, just not you-you."

"Hun?" Dean replied.

"Sorry," The older Sam replied, "Time travel, it gets a little confusing."

"What are you going on about?" The younger Sam demanded, before calling back down the hall, "Dean!"

Just then a running Dean appeared from the hallway, gun at the ready. Like the other Sam, this Dean also appeared younger, about his mid or late twenties. "What is it?!" He explained, eyes darted around the room, and landing on their older counterparts, "What the Hell?!"

"I don't know," The younger Sam said, "There was a flash of light and then they were on top of me."

"What are they?" The younger Dean asked, eyeing the pair suspiciously.

"I have no clue," The younger Sam replied.

"We're not anything," The older Sam cut in, "Look, we're you two, but from the future- I think."

"You _think_?!" The younger Dean exclaimed.

"Well, it's a little hard to know anything for sure in this situation, "One minute we're going after this witch in Arkansas, the witch put something together said spell, suddenly we're here."

"Okay," The younger Dean said, "Let's just say we believe you for a second. How did the witch get the jump on you?"

"She somehow knew we coming," Sam explained, "Had all the stuff prepared ahead, and was powerful enough to hold us until she was ready."

"Alright," Dean conceited, "Sounds kosher. Can I just ask you guys a couple of questions before we all set our guns down, just to be safe?"

"I wouldn't expect anything else," Sam said.

"What's my favorite song?" Dean asked, "Tall dark and handsome over there should know that."

"At least we know you're who you say you are," The older Dean replied, "It's a tie between Zeppelin's _Ramble On,_ and _Traveling Riverside Blues."_

"What's my birthday?" The younger Dean asked.

"January 24th, 1979," The older Dean answered, not missing a beat.

"What's _his_ birthday?" The younger Dean pointed to Sam.

"May 2nd, 1983," Both the older Sam and Dean said at the same time.

"When did Dean make his first sawed-off shot-gung?" The younger Sam spoke up.

"About, sixth grade, I think," The older Dean said, searching him memory. _"Gotta give it to you Sammy,"_ He thought _"That was a good one."_

"Okay," The younger Dean said, lowering his weapon, ''I'm buying it. Now what do you say we all get out of here and figure out a way to get you two back to future."

Both the older and younger Sam rolled their eyes. They both knew he had been waiting to say that.

As they made their way out of the old house they were in, the older Dean asked, "So exactly how far have we gone back?"

"Well, where are you from?" The younger Dean replied, "Or when are you form, or whatever."

"2014," The older Dean answered.

"Awesome," The younger Dean said, "So, do we have like, jetpacks now?"

"Dean!" The younger Sam interjected, then turned to both men, "You're in 2005."

"So, how long has Sam been back in the picture?" The older Dean asked.

"About -" The younger Dean paused for thought, "Four months maybe. Hey, shouldn't you guys already know all this stuff?"

"That's the weird thing," The older Sam interjected, "We don't remember any of this. I mean, the house looks sort of familiar-"

"I think I remember this case," The older Dean said, then noticing the cream-colored chaise lounge in the living room added, "I remember that couch."

"Yeah, I remember you trying to take a nap on that lounge, make me do all the work," Sam snorted, suddenly remembering the case, "But I don't remember any future versions of us showing up. And I think I'd remember that, it's not exactly something you'd forget."

"Maybe the spell she used has something to do with it," The younger Sam suggested.

"Maybe," Sam agreed with his younger counterpart, "I never heard anything like it before."

They continued for a few moments in silence before the younger Dean spoke up, "So, any tips?"

The older Sam and Dean exchanged looks. The idea was temping, trying to help their past selves avoid what was to come. The mistakes, the disasters, the trail of deaths, the pain. In fact, it was more than temping, it was almost irresistible. But then they thought about how this had worked out for them before-i.e. not at all-and suddenly it was a little less irresistible. And what if it didn't fix things? What if whatever choices they made to avoid the choices they were gonna make just made things worse?

"Huh, guys," The younger Dean said, seeing the looks on their faces, "I was kidding. Sort of."

That got them to snap out of it. "Oh," Sam said.

"Yeah, right," Dean added. As they started down the stairs, he also said, "Tell you one thing though about the ghouls-"

Before he could finish, four men jumped out, just as they came to the bottom of the stairs, one with a knife, all in attack mode.

"There's actually four of them," Dean finished.

The one with the knife began to charge group, but the younger Dean, the closet to him, shot him in the head, killing him.

"You're gonna pay for that," The ghoul who had been by the side of the one who attacked them said, picking up the knife as the other two attempted to restrain four men at once. The younger Dean broke free, but dropped his gun, leaving him weaponless as the ghoul stabbed him in the shoulder. The young Sam bit one of ghouls, causing him to pull his hand that on the boy's arm away. Sam then pulled a crowbar from his pocket and hit the ghoul with the knife in the head.

"When did you get _that_ ?" The older Dean questioned, kicking at one of ghouls.

"I didn't," The older Sam said, managing to wrangle his gun form the ghoul who took it from him.

Whatever the origins of the crowbar it did the younger Sam little good, as the ghoul reeled back, then snatch the crowbar, hit Sam in the shoulder with it, hard, tossed him against the wall, and then pinned the boy against the wall, pressing the knife against his throat. "Mmmm," Ghoul moaned actually _sniffing_ Sam," it's been a long time since I had fresh meat."

The older Sam aimed his gun at the ghoul's head and fired, killing him before he could kill them.

At that point both older and younger Dean reclaimed their guns and shot the remaining ghouls in the head. "Alright," The older Dean said, " _Now_ let's get out of here."

After dealing with the corpses and they had made it back to the safety of the motel, all four of them started researching, books spewed over the beds and the floor, the younger Sam on his laptop, all of them looking for anything on time travel.

"I don't suppose this could be some transcendental meditation thing, would it?" The younger Dean asked.

"Ah, that is a load of crap and even if it wasn't I'm pretty sure we would have to do something , too." The older Dean said.

The younger Sam looked at the spell the which had written down to the best of their memory, and said, "You know, these words look pretty accident, maybe Bobby would have a lead."

That got both the older Winchester's attention, because, given the time their past counterparts had given them, Bobby shouldn't be back in the picture yet. "Bobby?" The older Dean repeated, "Bobby Singer?"

" Yeah, you know," The younger Dean said, " "About 5'11 graying reddish-brown hair, always wears a baseball cap, gruff but a wealth of supernatural information."

"Yeah, I know who you're talking about , but," The older Dean explained," '05 we shouldn't gone to him until '06."

"What are you talking about? " The younger Dean responded, "I go to him all the time."

"Since when?" The older Dean replied, officially lost, "You haven't seen him since he threatened Dad with a shot gun."

"Hold up," The younger Dean said, his face lighting up, "Bobby threatened John with a shotgun?"

"Yeah," Dean said, thrown by the fact that is younger self just referred to his father by his first name, "Cocked it and everything."

The younger Dean grinned as he broke out into a fit of laugher. "Oh, my God!" I said in-between the laughter, "I wish I could have been there to see that!" The young man fell over on his back and was-literally- rolling on the floor laughing. The younger Sam smiled, amused.

"What are you talking about?" The older Sam said, also confused by the turn in the conversation, "We were both there for that."

Dean stopped laughing and Sam's smile disappeared so fast it was scary. "Of course we weren't," The latter said, a hint of anger in his voice, "The bastard abandoned Dean, and I was..." Sam's voice trailed off and from the lock on his face everyone could tell something had clicked in his mind, "I think we're looking for the wrong kind of spell."

All heads in room turned to him. "Continue," The older Dean said.

"I take it you two have a slightly different relationship with one John Winchester than we do," The younger Sam said.

"Yeah," The older Dean said, "Apparently." Even at their worst he didn't think he ever heard Sam call their father a bastard. At least, not that he remembered.

"And you said this witch was powerful, right?" The younger Sam continued, "Really, really powerful?"

"Yeah," Dean said, "And your point is?"

"This might be a long shot, but," Sam said, "What do you guys know about parallel universe theories?"

After a phone call and half a day's drive, the four found themselves standing around Bobby's desk as the older hunter walked to the other side, holding a giant book. "Looks like Sam was right," Bobby said, putting the book on the table causing a dull _thud._ "Our Sam, I mean," He added. Bobby had the feeling this was going to get confusing. "The spell doesn't send you back in time," He continued, "It sends you to a parallel universe. It says here the castor can summon whoever they sent to a different universe back at will, so that might be what she meant when said you'd be back in three days tops."

"And why did we land on top our parallel universe selves?" Sam asked, "I mean, was that chance or-"

"Apparently, the spell lands you by the nearest familiar thing in that universe," Bobby explained, "Nothing's more familiar than yourself. I mean, they're still Sam and Dean Winchester, they're still brothers, still hunters-I think you get the point."

"More similarities than differences," Dean said, "Is there any way you could get us back here sooner? We got a witch to track down."

"I could recreate the spell," Bobby said, "But I'm gonna need to do some shopping for some of the more exotic items on here. Plus the lamb's blood. I was hunting a Dijn last week and haven't got a chance to restock."

After dividing up what was still needed, and what they had around the house, Bobby went to acquire the former, leaving the boys to find to the rest.

"By the way, Sam" He said, on his way out the door, "Binks called, you need to check in. She's -her words, not mine-really starting to freak out."

The Dean of that universe seemed to stiffen at the name. "Since when does Binks have your contact information?"

"Binks?" Sam asked, "Who Binks?"

Just then as if on cue a dark-haired woman who looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties came into view, running until she was in the doorway, then she stood completely still for a moment, hers fixed on that universe's Sam, who still was bit scrapped up from their encounter with the ghouls. "Oh my God," She said, then ran into the house.

"By all means, come in," Bobby said flatly.

"You're hurt," The woman declared, before colliding with Sam, wrapping herself around and saying, "Oh, my poor baby!"

"Mom, it's just a couple of scratches," Sam protested.

"What?!" Dean exclaimed as he and his Sam exchanged shocked looks.


	3. Feral Children

**Highway 20, California, 1987**

 _There were only two cars on the road. One, a beat-up minivan, other, which was in front of it, an Impala and much better condition._

 _In the back of the later car, a five-year-old Sam Winchester was fast asleep in the back seat, his brother wrapped around him, also asleep. John was driving, not paying much mind to the minivan behind him._

 _He should have. He would kick himself every day after for not paying more attention to that car._

 _Because the woman driving that car was not a human female. She was a Vetala and she had a bone to pick with him. The week before he had killed her friend, another Vetala by the name of Trinity. They hunted together, lived together, shared everything with each other. The much younger appearing -and sometimes acting- Vetala was like the daughter the older Vetala, Binks never got to have. They were hunting prey out of rest stop a few towns over, when she figured out a hunter was on their trail. She hurried back to the abandoned house they were squatting at and got there just in time to see the hunter pull the knife out of Trinity's heart. Fortunately for her, he didn't know their kind hunted in pairs, and she was able to hide before he saw her, able to follow to him. The original plan had been to kill him, but when she saw his two sons she had a better idea: instead, she would refuse to let him die. She would butcher those two boys and leave him to suffer as she had suffered and she would make sure he knew why._

 _Now was her chance. Binks pushed her car against theirs, then did it again, sending the skidding off the road. She parked by the side of the road, and got out of her car just as John got of his. "Oh my God," Binks exclaimed, fanning shock and horror at what she had done, "Are you okay?"_

 _"I think so," John answered, opening the back door and leaning halfway in, "Are either of you hurt?"_

 _"No," Dean , now fully awake and slightly rattled, replied. A wide-eyes Sam shook his head in agreement._

 _The two boys slid out of the car and Binks heart squeeze and dropped into her stomach when she saw them and she feared for a moment she might lose her nerve. "Oh, crap," She said, only partly acting this time, "You have your kids with you, that's -" It was then her eyes turned cat-like, "Just what I wanted."_

 _John stepped in front of sons as he went for the knife in pocket, but Binks charged him and pushed him aside, scooping Sam up and her arms grabbing Dean by the wrist. "I'm surprised you didn't know," She began, turning to around to look at John, stepping on his hand before he could get to his knife, "Vetalas work in pairs." Then she revealed opened her mouth and went Sam's neck, but the screaming child squirmed away, nearly falling out of her hold, until she grabbed him with both her arms, loosening her grip on Dean, enabling him to break free._

 _Dean immediately ran over to the knife, and picked it up, wrapping his hand so tight around the hilt his knuckles went white. But he just stood there with it, so petrified he was shaking, his eyes wide with terror._

 _For a moment the night went eerily silent, save the sound of John struggling under Binks' foot, and Sam's incoherent cries for help._

 _At last Binks broke the silence with the taunt, "Do you actually know how to work that thing kid?"_

 _"Dean!" John shouted out desperately, "Got for her heart!"_

 _Dean raised the knife._

 _"You better be careful," Binks said, raising Sam to cover her chest, "Wouldn't want to hit baby brother." Her face fell as the second to last word echoed through her mind. Baby. The child in her arms was practically a baby and she had gone for his throat and was now using him as a human shield._

 _That thought might have stopped her attack, if Dean hadn't charged her, albeit the weak, desperate charge of a frightened child who didn't know what to do, just that he had to do_ something.

 _But Binks was faster than him, and stronger. She wrenched the knife away from him and sliced into his arm, accidently stepping off of John's hand. The hunter immediately leap to his feet. Binks was going to have to finish this up elsewhere. Still holding the knife and Sam, she turned around and fled for the woods that surrounded the road._

 _John ran over to Dean. He took off his jacket and put it on Dean's wound. "Keep pressure on this you understand?"_

 _Dean nodded, taking the jacket and pressing down._

 _John then rushed to the car, pulled the trunk open, grabbed the first knife he saw, and dashed into the woods._

 _Binks covered Sam's mouth to muffle his cries. Suddenly she left something warm running down her chest. She looked down and realized the little boy was so frightened he had peed himself._

 _She had been running for five minutes now and thought she had lost John, when she heard footsteps from a few feet away, not close enough to get caught but not close enough to worry about. She ducked behind a tree, and held her breath. How had he caught up with her? Adreline maybe, she figured, or she hadn't been covering her tracks well. Or maybe both._

 _Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of John voice. "I know you hear me," He called out his voice desperate, pleading, "Just listen to me, please. I know I killed your friend, and clearly you want to make me pay, but if you need to kill someone, kill me instead! He's just a little boy! He doesn't have anything to do with this! Just, please take me!"_

 _Binks' heart plummeted. So far, revenge didn't feel as good as she thought it would. No, she stiffed. She wouldn't lose her resolve. She ran for it._

 _It wasn't long until she had lost the hunter for good. She slowed her pace, as she came to a clearing, looking around. She eyed what looked like some kind of cellar, locked shut with a link of chain and a pad-lock. She marched over to it, took one hand off the boy, keeping him tight with the other, and using all her strength ripped it off. She trust opened the door and found a set of stairs. She walked into a small bunker, a Cold War fall-out shelter maybe, with two cots hanging on the right side. She soon reached the bottom and set the child on the other one. He quickly backed away, to the corner of the bed, sobbing._

 _Suddenly, motherly feelings like she had felt for Trinity went through her. In that moment, she knew she couldn't go through with this. In that moment, she knew what she had to, what she wanted to do._

 _She lean towards the boy, gently now, with no mal-intent. The boy scurried away from her, to the furthest edge of the cot. "No!" Sam bawled, spat at air, though he was probably aiming for her, with his hand, "Go away! Go away! Leav-meee-" His sobbing became unintelligible again._

 _"It's alright," She said in a soothing voice, "I'm not gonna hurt you." She got on the cot with him and bundled him up in her arms, gently rocking him back and forth humming the tune to 'Hush little baby,' until he fell asleep._

 _The next morning, with a little coaxing, Binks was mother._

 **Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 2005**

"So we stayed in the fallout shelter and I raised Sam as my own," Binks finished, then looking over at that universe's Sam added, "He's been my whole ever since."

"Oh, how sweet," That universe's Dean scoffed sarcastically, "Yeah, that's a regular hallmark moment right there."

"So did you ever-" Dean began, going over that universe's Sam neck with his eyes, checking for bite marks.

"Oh, God no," Binks said, seeing what Dean was getting at, "I never even thought about feeding on him after that. I didn't even feed on humans after that, strictly animals."

"I don't think I even ever saw her eat," The Sam of that universe said.

"But wait," Sam spoke up, confused by one aspect of the unsettling story, "If you had Sam, and you didn't take Dean how are they-"

"Hunting together now?" That universe's Sam finished, "It was actually more or less pure chance. When I was thirteen Mom started leaving in the nearest town some so I could- get reacquainted with humans."

Dean cringed when Sam referred to Binks as his "mother" "And I just happened to be there at the time and happened to see him, and I showed him around." He said, trying to cover up the anger he still held for the Vetala.

Sam snorted.

"What?" Dean asked, turning to his younger, apparently long-lost, brother.

"Dude, saying it like that implies you knew what you were doing," Sam said, "You had us completely lost."

"I don't remember you complaining at the time," Dean retorted.

"You were the first person I had seen in eight years, except for her!" Sam pointed out gesturing towards Binks.

"And that's when you realized who you were to each other?" The older Dean, the one from the other universe, asked.

"Actually, no," That universe's Dean admitted, "I didn't realize we were so close to where it all went down and even if I did I thought she-" His voice trailed off, but he didn't need to finish. They all knew.

"And I was so young when it all happened I don't remember him or John all that well," Sam said, "Even that night's hazy unless I'm having a nightmare about it. I mean, the name Dean sounded familiar but I couldn't really figure out why."

Binks cast her eyes down and shame.

"And I only gave him the bare minim of information," He continued, "That I was home school and my mom had sent me out for the day for some socialization."

"So how did to you figure it out?" The other Sam asked.

"I liked this kid here so I stuck around for a while," The Dean of that universe explained, "Until he took off for collage. But I was on this case and I realized he was in the area so I stopped by. On the same day Binks did." It was clear from the way he said her name he still hated her, that the only reason he hadn't ran her through with a sliver dagger was because Sam cared about her. "I flipped out. Somewhere in-between the screaming and the fighting and Sam using himself as a human shield, we gave up what we knew and managed to put two and two together."

"And you just took off with him?" Sam questioned his parallel universe self. At this period in time it didn't seem like something he would've done, and he didn't think the differences effected that. In fact, he thought it might strengthen it.

"Well, after all was said and done there was a warrant for may arrest in California," The Sam of that universe said then turning to Dean added, "There still is."

The older set of brothers turned to look at each other, each wearing a look of surprise. That was definitely different. "How did that happen?"

"After the fraternity bomb was dropped the hunt I was there for in the first place went a little sideways," The Dean of the universe explained, "I wound up breaking into this really fancy house and Sam tried to get me out when the cops showed up, and he got caught and they thought he stole some jewels-which neither of us stole by the way, and I have idea what happened to them-and then they started accusing him of what the monster did."

"Do I even want to know what the monster did?" Sam asked.

"Let's put it this way," The other Sam began, "Three people went missing and one body was found."

Once again, the older Sam and Dean exchanged surprised looks.

"I take it this is a little different from your universe." Bobby spoke, from where he was still standing at the door, thinking it would be a good idea to stick around while everything was explained. Despite all attempts on both their parts to keep it civil for Sam's sake, when Binks and Dean got into the same room the tension was palpable. It was only a manner of times before they came to blows.

"Cliff notes version," Dean began, "We grew up together, he went off to college, Dad went missing, Sam's girlfriend got killed by the same thing that got Mom, bunch of other crap ensued."

"Sounds like it," The other Dean said, a slight laugh in his voice.

"I'm not even sure that Vatala hunt happened at all," Dean added.

"Okay, so any more questions," Bobby cut in.

"No," Dean said, then looked at Sam, "You?"

"I'm good." Sam replied.

"Well, then I'm gonna go see about that lamb's blood," He said, opening the door and walking out, "Come on Binks."

"Well why do I have to leave?" Binks protested, "I mean, I could help."

"I think they have more than enough hands here," Bobby said, "And you know what they say about kitchens and too many cooks."

"Actually, Bobby, maybe she could help," That universe's Dean said, trying to be a good sport, "She can stay."

Bobby's eyes fixed on Dean, doubtful. "You're sure?"

Apparently Sam knew there was no love lost between his brother and foster mother, because after glancing between the two, he added, "Yeah, are you sure?"

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," Dean said, waving them off.

Seeing what everyone was getting at, Binks started getting out of her seat, saying, "Maybe Bobby's right, maybe I should go-"

"No, stay, come one, we could use all the help we can get," Dean insisted, forcing a smile on his face, "Bobby exactly keep the most organized place."

Binks set down in seat. "Alright," She agreed, still unsure.

"Okay then," Bobby said, walking out the door, "Good luck. To all of you."

 **AN: You know what I just realized? It's been three chapters and I haven't put a disclaimer on this thing yet, so here goes: Anything you recognize, just assume I don't own it. And while I'm here, I'd like to think everyone who favorited and followed so far, and those four wonderful reviews. And last, but certainly not least, happy Independence Day everybody!**


	4. Choices

After Bobby left the five set to work gathering all the ingredients needed to get Sam and Dean back home.

"Hey, I just thought of something," Dean said, setting the bowl on the table, to the parallel universe Sam, "If Binks raised you completely off the grid, no documentation, how did you get into college? I mean, when they looked into you they had to notice that you didn't exist on paper? Which, by the way, I am impressed by that."

"Um... thanks?" Sam said, unsure how to take the compliment, then got back to the topic at hand, "I applied under home-schooled and Binks knew a guy who got me documentation. Officially my name is Sam Preston and my parents were members of strict regions sect, hence the home-schooling."

"Ah," Dean said, as that made everything clear.

"Well," Binks said, walking back into the room "It took me long enough but I found the Wolves bane." She but the dried bouquet of the purple plants on the desk.

Just then that universe's Dean came back into the room, holding something small in his hand. "I got that Saint's backbone." He sat it down on the desk and added, "Man, why does Bobby even have that?"

Dean just shrugged.

"Wow," The older Sam said, as a realization dawned on them, "Guys, I actually think we got everything on the list."

Dean looked over the assortment covering the desk and said, "You know what, I think he's right."

"So what do we do now?" The other Dean asked.

"I don't know," Dean replied, "Just stand here?"

"Or you, know," Sam added in, "We could...I don't know, talk maybe until Bobby gets back."

"About what?" The younger Dean asked.

"Kill anything interesting lately?" Binks asked awkwardly.

"Well," The younger Sam said, "We killed four ghouls this morning."

"Four?" Binks replied, "At once?"

"Yeah," Sam said, "It's where we ran into these guys. And there was this Tulpa last week- A Tulpa that's like a Tibetan thought form. And there were these two really annoying guys, so called, 'paranormal investigators'." He put air quotes around those words.

"Harry and Ed?" The older Sam asked.

"Yeah," His counterpart responded, "You had that case, too?"

"Yeah," Sam answered, "Actually we kind of got into a little-park war, did you-"

"Actually yeah, we kind of did." The younger Sam admitted.

Binks turned to her adopted son. "Do I even want to know?"

"Probably not," Said son admitted.

"Let me think," The older Dean said trying to place the job in a timeline, "That was before the Shtriga, but after that Daeva with Meg."

"Who's Meg?" Binks asked.

That universe's Sam adverted everyone's gazes and sloughed, looking rather abashed.

That universe's Dean however, busted out laughing. "Let's put it this way," He said, "This one has no radar when it comes to women."

"Like you do?" Sam replied.

"I've never let a demon take me up to her room," Dean replied.

"You didn't know she was a demon either," Sam retorted, "And you were the one who told me to go up with her."

"Why did you tell my baby to go off with a demon?!" Binks exclaimed.

"Because he's twenty-two and still a virgin," Dean said, as if it was a given, then repeated for empathsis, "He's the twenty-two year old virgin."

"Nothing's wrong with waiting Dean," Sam replied, embarrassed by this whole line of conversation. The older Sam felt sorry for him. Heck, the older _Dean_ felt sorry for him.

"I suppose not when it's a choice," The younger Dean said, "But when it's because you get so awkward around girls it's like you're a completely different person, it's not." He turned to Sam and Dean, "You see your Sam," He pointed at the broader counterpart of his brother, "Apparently has better luck when it comes to the ladies. Except you know, the her dying part. But this guy-I mean, he won't make eye-contact, he suddenly develops a stutter, it's pathetic. So when we were on this case at this bar and this girl starts making eyes at him , yeah, I gave him a few pointers and sent him over. How was I suspose to know?"

"Wait, _that_ was your first time meeting her?" Dean asked the younger Sam, "You didn't meet her hitch-hiking to California?"

"Uh, that might not have happened here, Dean," The older Sam injected, "Different universe, remember? Differently relationship with you, probably a different relationship with Dad, I didn't have Jessica's death fueling me, could add up to that fight no not happening." He lowered his voice and leaned closer to Dean as he added, "If what they," Sam gestured to their parallel universe selves, "Were getting at earlier is any indicated that whole _case_ might not have happened."

"What are you two talking about?" The younger Sam asked.

"In my universe the first time I ran into Meg wasn't at that bar," Sam said, "You know how we said Dad went missing?"

The three nodded.

"Well, after months of radio silence," Sam said, putting it into as much context as he could, "He finally called, told us he was looking for the demon that killed Mom and Jess, to stop looking for him, and gave us a case. Couples passing through this town where being stratified to this scarecrow god. But before we knew any of that we got in this fight because I wanted to go find Dad and join in on the demon search, Dean wanted to work the case, and I left. Me and Meg met hitch-hiking. I came back latter when I figured out this one," He nudged at his Dean, "Was in trouble. We only found out she was a demon later. But I take it that didn't happen with you guys."

"No," The other Dean said, firmly, "I think it's safe to say I wouldn't do anything that-man told me to do."

It wasn't so much the statement itself as the hatred that Dean seemed to radiate as he said that it that made them do a double take. "I take it things weren't easy after your Sam was taken," Sam guessed.

"I wouldn't know," Dean said, "Two weeks after he dropped me off at courthouse in Colorado and signed away his parental rights. I guess he blamed me for the whole thing, for not being able to kill Binks."

Both brothers blood ran cold. Binks looked stricken. The other Sam looked angry but not surprised. Like he already knew.

"Oh my God," Sam said, "Dean-I'm so sorry. "

"He had no right to do that you," His Dean added.

"I know," The younger Dean said, in a neutral tone that could either had meant, _I know, so thank you, or I know, so shut-up about it already._

There was an awkward moment of silence after that.

"Wait," Dean spoke up, "How'd you get back in the life then?"

"Turns out there is such a thing as the boogey man," That universe's Dean explained, "When I was sixteen one started sneaking around my foster home, tried to stanch one of the kids, I killed the bastard, ran off, never looked back."

Except for some changes in details- the foster home, the fact that it was some sort of boogey man instead of a Werewolf-it actually reminded the other Dean of when he committed himself to the life, at least the broad storks of it.

All was silent again until Binks glanced over at the younger Dean with a look of sympathy.

"Hey!" Dean exclaimed, "I don't need your pity, alright?! I don't need anyone's pity, especially not yours!" He turned to look at her, and started walking towards her, "Considering it's all your fault."

Sam and Dean made to intervene when that universe's Sam stepped between his biological brother and his adopted mother and said, "Dean, hey, calm down," trying to placate him. Sam had always knew this day was coming, it was why he tried to keep the two apart as much as possible, but now was rather inconvient time. "Not here okay?"

Before anyone could say or do anything else, the door opened and Bobby stepped in, freezing mid-step, sensing the tension in the air which at that point was so thick it was a wonder it couldn't be seen.

"Dean," Binks said, "I don't pity you. I wasn't-"

"Shut up!" Dean shouted, lunging at her again, Sam holding him back, "Just shut up!"

"Alright, that's enough!" Bobby exclaimed, stepping in, "Sam, take him somewhere else until he clams down. Now's not really the best time for this."

Sam pulled a struggling Dean into the hall.

"Do I even want to know what happened?" Bobby asked.

"It's my fault," Binks said, "I better leave."

"That might be a good idea," Bobby agreed, as Binks walked out. Once she was gone he turned to the remaining Winchesters and asked," You two care to elaborate on that?"

"Basically she looked at him wrong," Dean answered.

"Gonna need more than that," Bobby said flatly, unsatisfied with the answer.

"We found everything for the spell," Sam began to explained, "And we were all just standing around here when somebody had the bright idea to talk-"

"Which was the worst idea ever," Dean added.

"And somehow we got on the subject of what their pitiful excuse for a sperm donor did to Dean," Sam continued, sugar-coating his feelings on the subject. Heaven knows their John wasn't perfect, but even an idiot could tell the Dean was in no way at fault for what happened, and therefore, in Sam's mind, being so mad at Dean over it that he actually abandoned the child was inexcusable and unforgiveable. "After that Binks looked at him, I guess and he said she was pitying him."

Bobby nodded solemnly and set to work putting the ingredients together.

"What?" Dean asked, sensing the slight change in Bobby damemenor.

Bobby looked up from the bowl. "What do you mean what?"

"It just," Dean said, "It kind of seemed like you know something about something there." He didn't know idea what that something was, but there was something that Bobby was hiding.

Bobby mulled it over for a minute, then sighed. "I take you heard Dean's side of what happened," He said at last, "In unusually graphic detail."

"Actually," Sam replied, "He was pretty vague."

"But from what we got I don't see how that-man gets a side in this," Dean said.

"It sure looks that way," Bobby said sadly, "And I think that's how John meant it."

That made both Sam and Dean turned their heads. " _You_ care to elaborate now?" Sam asked.

"John never blamed Dean," Bobby explained, "He blamed himself. Not only for not noticing they were being followed that night but for dragging the boys into this life with him. He told me as much a week after the incident. "They had taken to referring to Sam's kidnapping as the incident since Sam came back into the picture. It made it sound less intense. "Then he said that he couldn't stop now, but he could get the one he had left out of the crossfire. I didn't know what he meant at the time, then-well, you know."

"Okay, that actually makes sense," Sam said, "But then why does Dean-well, your Dean-seem to think that his Dad blamed him for it?"

"John didn't exactly explain his reasons when he left Dean at the courthouse so the boy just translated it differently," Bobby said, "No matter what I would tell him. Hell, I think if the two ran into each other on a case Dean would probably walk off. And since Sam only knows what Dean told him, he hates John too. I'm not even sure he knows the boy's alive. You see, I lost contact with John after this incident, we got into a fight and I..."

"You threatened him with a shot-gun," Dean said, "We know. In our universe we were there for that one."

"Oh," Bobby said, "Well, now that I straitened all that out can I get on with this spell? We all have business we'd like to get back to I'm sure."

As Bobby worked on the spell, Sam and Dean were left to contemplate the situation they found themselves in. Even with all they had seen it was crazy to them how a few choices changed the whole layout of their lives. Even with their years of separation this universe's Dean's decision to stay in that town had lead to them still having relation similar to their own. Then his decision to visit Sam on a hunt led to their reunion and Sam hunting with Dean, partly out necessity, partly out of choice. John's choice to give up Dean for the boy's own safety had lead to a possibly unrepearable riff and the man probably didn't even know his youngest son was still alive, and they had no clue what was going on with him. Was he on Azazel's trail right now? They couldn't help but wonder. The time line was right. And Binks decision to take revenge, and then her decision to spare Sam's life and raise him, had changed his life almost in its interity. In some ways he was the same, in fact expect for the extreme awkwardness around females his personality seemed oddly unchanged by the experience. On the plus side, thanks to the aforementioned awkwardness one Jessica Moore was probably still alive and well. But, now the poor boy was on a tight rope trying to keep his justifiably angry brother and the mother who had took care of him and genuinely seemed to love him and he loved back from killing it other. On the plus side, who knows, Binks botched revenge might have just averted the apocalypse, unless the thing with Meg had been to get track of them again.

Just then that universe's Sam and Dean came back into the room. "Okay," Sam said, "I think we're good. For now."

Dean just nodded his agreement.

"Well," Bobby said," You just got here in time to see these two off." Then he began the incantation. " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

As Bobby spoke, wind swirled around and suddenly there was the blue-white light, like the one before, and once again, they couldn't see for a few seconds, but as this time they were on something hard.

When their vision cleared, Dean and Sam saw they appeared to be back in the Men of Letters bunker. A few feet away from him, Kevin and a young dark-haired girl not that older than him were staring at them, wide-eyed.

"Something tells me we're still in the wrong universe," Dean said.


	5. Here We Go Again

**AN: I actually started writing this back when they were still in season 10 so that's when it takes place for the canon Sam and Dean. I'm bringing it up now because certain details of season 10 factor into this chapter.**

"Guys!" Kevin shouted, running to the entryway that lead to more halls, "You better get in here! There's-" He looked back at Sam and Dean, and then turned back to the entryway and called, "Okay, I'm not sure what it is, but it's weird!"

The girl just stared at them intensely.

"Look," Sam said, starting to get, "This might not be what it -" His voice trailed off as the girl pulled an angel blade, of all things, out of her yellow sweater and pointed it at his throat.

"Either of you move, you die," She said coolly.

Just then that universe's Dean, this time the same age as the Dean on the floor, or at least very close to it, rushed in, followed in quick secession by Sam and Castiel. Dean opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but stopped when he saw his and his brother's doppelgangers on the floor. "What the Hell?"

"I know!" Kevin exclaimed, "They're you-but they're not you!"

"Something's wrong with them," The girl said flatly.

"Ya think?!" Kevin said, gesturing back between the two sets of Winchester brothers in case the girl wasn't getting it.

"I see that Kevin," The girl snapped tersely, "But it's not just that. For one this Sam is human."

"Hold on," Dean said, "What do you mean-" Before Dean could finish his sentence the blade was on him.

"What did I say?!" The girl snapped.

"Talking's not moving," Dean pointed out.

The angry girl moved her blade in close to Dean, so that the tip was on his throat. "And there's something different about this Dean, too," The girl said, "Something I can't put my finger on, but it's nothing good." Suddenly the girl's eyes widened as they went to Dean's forearm.

"Hael," Kevin said, rushing back to the girl's aid, "Hael, what's wrong?"

The girl pointed with her blade at Dean's forearm, not speaking, and Kevin wrapped his arms around her. Dean's eyes went to his arm as did Sam and suddenly they realized what all the fuss was about. Somehow, she had recognized the Mark.

The three other men hurried up to the group. "Is she having a panic attack?" That universe's Dean asked, then turned to the universe's Sam and asked, "Is this some sort of angel panic attack?"

"You expect me to know?" That universe's Sam asked.

Just then Castiel saw what the girl-Hael apparently-saw, as he suddenly looked stunned and said, "I think I know what she's so upset about."

Dean started failing his arms as he said, "Okay, if we all just back up a minute and let us talk we can explain everything!"

"Including the Mark of Cain on your arm?" Castiel asked, an extra edge in his voice.

"Yes, actually," Dean said, starting to get nervous, "But that's not even the important part. Look, I know this sounds crazy, but we're from a parallel universe. This-crazy powerful witch zapped us into one universe, and that universe's Bobby was able to duplicate the spell but apparently sent us to the wrong universe. Now can we please back up to where Sam's not human?"


	6. In The Time Of Angels

**Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 2013**

 _Dean had to get to Sam. Get to him before he finished the third trail._

"If Sam's complete those trails, he is going to die." _Naomi's wrongs echoed through Dean's head in a never ending chant as he ran towards the church._

 _Dean burst through the church door just as Sam jabbed another thing of blood into Crowley's arm. Startled, Sam turned at the noise, clearly on edge._

 _Dean raised his hands and slowly walked over to Sam saying, "Easy there. Okay, just take it easy. We got a slight change in plans."_

 _"What?" Sam began, confused, "What's going on? Where's-" Suddenly Sam started gagging as a yellowish light glowed from his arms showing his veins. Dean took a step closer. Dean wasn't sure what was happening, but he had to help Sam, somehow._

 _"Dean, don't!" Sam demanded in fear for his brother's safety, "Don't!"_

 _Suddenly the ground started to shake. "What the Hell is that?!" Dean shouted._

 _"I think that's-"Sam began, "I think that's exactly what it is. I think that's gates of Hell closing."_

 _"You idiots," Crowley grumbled from the chain he chained to, "Of course that's what it is."_

 _Dean's heart sunk. "No," He said, shaking his head, "No."_

 _"Dean, what are you-" Sam's voice trailed off as he screamed in pain and his upper body jutted, as if he'd been hit in the spine, and a bright white light began to emanate from his body. Sam could feel a strange power crossing through him, a power he had never felt before._

 _"I'm sorry, Sam," Dean said, tears starting to run down his face, "Metatron lied. I'm so sorry."_

 _An urgent feeling passed through Sam and suddenly he was screaming, "Dean, shut your eyes! I don't know why, just-do okay!"_

 _"Dean, I think you ought to do what he says," Crowley added, shutting his own eyes._

 _"Dean please!" Sam managed to scream before his words turned to screams of agony._

 _Dean closed his eyes because this was Sammy's dying wish damn it, the fierce shaking of the ground and his own shock sending him to his knees. There was a finial scream from Sam and the sound of wood crashing and then silence._

 _Dean slowly opened his eyes. The shaking had stopped, but the pews around him had been turned to planks of timber, and if he looked out the window he would have saw thousands upon thousands of angels falling from the heavens. He might have also seen one, one lone light, rising up in a choppy, frantic motion, as if it had no idea what it was doing. But as it was, Dean had no clue what was going on outside the windows, nor did he care. He was focused one sole thing in that room._

 _Sam was gone. Not just dead, there wasn't even a body. It was as if he had never been there._

 _"No!" Dean shouted, punching the floor with both fist._

 _"Dean," Crowley spoke up, too stunned by the spectacle to even think to mock or to use his usual sarcastic snarky tone, "Maybe you should calm down."_

 _"Shut up!" Dean seethed, "Just shut up! Don't you-don't dare. Don't you there tell me to calm down!"_

 _Dean spent the next half hour like that, screaming and pounding every surface he could get to, until he was horse and his knuckles were busted open, pouring blood. Then he fell over in a state of near catatonia._

 _He didn't even notice the doors open and steps of footsteps walking in, or Crowley saying, "Well, it's about time you showed up. And who's the girl?"_

 _"Silence, demon," A strange voice, a female voice said. Dean barely registered it._

 _He also barely registered Cas' voice saying "He's not a demon anymore." Then crouching over him, whispering "Oh Dean..."_

 _He grabbed Dean at the side and sat him upright. "Go unchain Crowley," He instructed his female counter part, a dark haired young woman, as he healed Dean's right hand._

 _"But-"The girl began to protest._

 _"Just trust me," Cas responded._

 _The girl ran off to do what Cas said._

 _"He's gone, Cas," Dean moaned, as Castiel began on the other hand, "Sammy's gone. He's dead. I couldn't get here in time."_

 _"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Cas replied, finishing with the hands._

 _"What the Hell does that mean?" Dean asked, pulling away a little._

 _Castiel paused for a moment, as if trying to think of how to explain. "Alright, Dean," He said at last, sitting across from the hunter, "This is going to be really hard to explain, we're not actually sure what's going on ourselves, but please, just listen." He took a deep breath and said, "I'm not Cas. Well, Cas is in here too, he's just not the one-at the wheel in the moment."_

 _"What the Hell does that mean?" Dean responded, confused, which was making annoyed on top of everything else._

 _"Dean, I know this is gonna be hard to believe but," Cas began, "I'm Sam."_

 _Dean's mouth fell open. "What?"_

 _"Due to spell Cas turned into a human," Sam/Cas explained, "And somehow, we're not exactly sure, I turned into an angel."_

 **Lebanon, Kansas, 2014**

"Hold on," Sam said, "So I-or at least this universe's version of me," Sam gestured to the angel version of him, "turned into an angel?"

"I know," Angel Sam replied, "I couldn't believe it either."

"How is that even possible?" Dean asked.

"We're still not sure," Kevin explained, "We think that maybe Naomi meant die in the sense the human self died, but since she's dead we can't exactly ask her, and even if we could ask Metatron, do you really think he would tell us?"

"Not really," Human Sam said, "But how did I get my human body back, and how did I end up in Cas' body and who's she?" He gestured towards the young woman now sitting rather close to Kevin.

"I think I can explain some of that," Castiel spoke up.

 **Longmont Colorado, 2013**

 _Castiel walked solemnly down the road, listening to the voices in his head. Voices of lost, confused frightened fallen angels, thousands of them. Suddenly one stood out among the sea of noise._ "What's happening...what's going on, where am I?"

 _At first Castiel thought it was just another angel, a familiar one, perhaps one he knew, but still just another angel, when the voice said,_ "Dean!"

 _Cas stop in tracks. "Sam?" He said aloud._

 _Suddenly he heard the sound of tires screeching on rubber. He leapt out of the way, landing on the gravel. He was surprised by the stinging in his hands. He looked at his bloody palm as a voice behind him said, "Hey buddy, you okay?"_

 _"It's hurts," Cas mused still looking at his hand._

 _"What the Hell you doing in the middle of the road like that?" The driver of the truck who almost hit him, a man with stringy hair and a beard, asked._

 _"I heard angels," Cas answered, as if it was a normal answer, "I thought I heard the voice of a friend of mine, which wouldn't have been odd expect, this friend is human."_

 _Concerned, the man responded with "How about we get you some water hmm?"_

 _"I, uh, I don't drink water," Castiel replied._

 _"Dehydration's a real bitch up here, mister," The man said, coming to the conclusion that this was the reason for the strange behavior._

 _As the voice that might or might not be Sam rang out in his head again, Cas realized he needed to talk to Dean to see what happened, and said urgently, "A phone. Do you have a phone?"_

 _"No signal up here," The man replied, "How about a lift, hmm?"_

 _"Yes." Cas said, "Good. I would fly, but-I have no wings, not anymore."_

 _"Right," The man said slowly. He had a feeling this was going to be a long day._

 _During the drive, Castiel became more and more focused on maybe Sam's voice. It was so desperate, so frightened, maybe even more so than all the others, than at last he couldn't take it anymore. He bowed his head and started to pray, starting with one word, "Sam? Sam, is that you?"_

 _Apparently, somehow, the voice heard him through all the madness. "Cas?" The voice said, "_ Cas, is that _you?"_

 _"Yes," Cas replied, "It's me. Where-where are you?"_

"I don't know," _Sam answered, panicked,_ "I was with Dean and Crowley in the church, and then Dean was trying to tell me something and suddenly, I was-in pain, really bad, and I started, this light started coming that of me and I felt-"

 _"Go on Sam," Cas encouraged in a hush whisper as his host was starting to eye him strangely," Felt what?"_

"This-this power," _Sam said,_ "It wasn't like anything I felt before and I was scared that-that I might hurt Dean. And then, suddenly I'm not in the church anymore and I don't really feel...I don't know, solid, I guess. And there are all these other-things here and I don't know what they are, and I don't know where we are, and I don't even know how I'm hearing you..."

 _As Sam went on, an idea formed in Castiel's mind. But, no, it wasn't possible. Was it? The fact was, that Sam clearly wasn't in his body anymore and if the rumbling earlier was any indication_ had _shut the gates of Hell, and what he was describing really sounded like-_

 _"Sam," Cas interrupted, almost forgetting to whisper, "I think I know what happened to you."_

"Then tell me, Cas!" _Sam cried out in Cas' mind._

 _"I think, somehow," Castiel began, not quite believing what he was about to say, "That you've turned into an angel."_

 _There was a moment of silence in Castiel's head._

 _"Sam?" He asked._

 _Just then the pick-up truck stopped across the street from a gas station. "Here you go," The man said._

 _Castiel got out, but before he could go much further the man said, "Hey," holding out a handful of bills._

 _"No, I can't take your money," Castiel tried to politely decline._

 _"For the phone," The man explained, "And a sandwich if they got one."_

 _"It's okay," Castiel reassured him, "I don't eat."_

 _"You'll figure something out," The man replied, refusing to go until the strange hitchhiker had taken the cash, "Hmm?"_

 _Castiel gave in and took the bills and some change._

 _"Take care kid," The man said, before driving off._

 _As he walked across the street Castiel prayed, "Sam? Are you still there?"_

"Yeah," _Sam said,_ 'I was just a little shocked. Actually no, I was a lot shocked, and I still am, and confused. How can I have become an angel? I mean, is that even possible?"

 _"Normally I would say no," Castiel said, " There's no precedent for it, but I have no other explanation for what's happening. Naomi told Dean that finish the trails would kill you, but I suppose she could've been lying, or misinterpreted the information she extracted from Metatron. Either way, what you're describing isn't a spirit, and does sound like an angel out of its vessel."_

"Well, what do I do about it?" _Sam asked,_ "I have to get to Dean and tell him I'm not dead, and honestly I'm not sure how much more of this I can take!"

 _"Alright, calm down," Castiel urged, "I have an idea. It appears...Metatron took my grace and now it appears I'm human."_

"What?" _Sam exclaimed._

 _"Don't worry about that," Cas said quickly, "I think we can use it to our advantage. Since I was in my vessel when it happened I should still, in theory, be able to hold in angel. You just need to possess me long enough to get you to Dean and we can figure out a permanent arrangement."_

"Like what?" _Sam asked._

 _"Anna was able to get her human body back after it was destroyed," Cas reminded him, "I'm sure we can figure out what she did and do the same for you. "_

"And if you're wrong and you're still an angel?" _Sam asked._

 _"Well, let's just hope I'm right," Cas replied, "I'm at a gas station in Longmont, Colorado."_

"Well that narrows it down," _Sam said sarcastically._

 _While Castiel was waiting for Sam to find him-and made a note to teach him about being an angel once they got this all sorted-a young woman in blue dress and yellow sweater walked up to him and said, "I know you."_

 _"I don't think so," Cas replied._

 _The woman was about to speak when a bright light shown down on Castiel. "Hold on a second miss," He said, "That's a friend of mine, I promised to give him a lift."_

"Uh, Cas," _Sam said,_ "What do I do now?"

 _"Just...enter me," Cas replied, "I already gave my consent, you should be able to."_

"I don't know how!" _Sam snapped._

 _"Yes, you do," Cas urged, " It'll be instinctual, just...focus."_

 _Within a few seconds Cas could feel Sam's presence coming inside him. Soon, he couldn't see or hear. Then, he could again, but found he couldn't control his body._

 _Because Sam had taken the wheel._

 _"Whoa," Was that first thing that came out of Sam's mouth in his new host body, "This is weird. This is really weird." Though he supposed he was going to have to get use to it, though. He couldn't see a way back. It was then he took notice of the confused girl in front of him-or them, or whatever-and also noticed something Castiel had overlooked._

 _"Hey!" Sam exclaimed, surprised he recognized her for what she was, almost like he had a sixth sense about it, "You're an angel!"_

 _"Am I?" The girl angel question, "What's an angel without wings?" After moment she added, "How did you keep yours intact anyway?"_

 _That was the first time Sam had been aware of the weight on his back. He had been too panicked to notice it before, but yes, he did have wings now. But another part of the female angel's statement worried her. "What do you mean how did I keep mine intact?"_

 _"I just thought all the angels' wings had been destroyed during the fall," The angel answered._

 _"Still a little lost here," Sam said._

 _"The fall," She repeated, "How do you not know what I'm talking about?" She was starting to wonder if maybe instead of losing his wings, this angel's mind had went instead._

 _Suddenly, Castiel's voice pushed into Sam's mind._ "Metatron lied. Those weren't the Heaven trails but a spell to banish all the angels from Heaven." _For whatever reason that much had been too much for Cas, because he didn't say anything else._

 _"Oh," Sam said, everything finally clicking into place, "I think I can explain the reason for the confusion."_

 _And so, Sam spent the next ten minutes explaining to the angel, Hael, her named to turned out to be, what happened from his side._

 _"So when you finished the Hell Trials you transformed into an angel," Hael said, making sure she had this all strait," And Castiel lost his grace and volunteered to be your vessel and that's when I recognized him and walked up to you."_

 _"That's basically it," Sam said._

 _"That explains why you have wings," Hael said, "While the rest of us were falling you were rising." After a second she added softly, "I'm actually a little jealous."_

 _Sam looked at the girl and felt a pang of pity. He reached out a hand to her, lifting her head up, intending to offer promises that they could figure this out, when he saw a thing brown line, just popping up above her sweater. He pulled the sweater back and saw a large spreading bruise on her shoulder. "What the-?" Sam began, "Hael, did someone hurt you?"_

 _Her eyes moved to the bruise, then back to Sam. "Oh, no, it's nothing like that," She replied , "It's my vessel. She's not very strong, and she won't be able to hold me much longer. Honestly, if I had known Castiel was human I'd probably see if he's merge with me."_

 _"Come with me," Sam offered, "Me and my brother- we have this bunker you see, and it's filled with information about every kind of supernatural thing on the planet. There's bound to be something about fixing an angel's vessel."_

 _Seeing no other options, Hael replied, "Alright."_

 _"First though we need to find Dean," Sam replied, "Tell him what's going on." He turned to look at the wings on his back. They were dark brown, with deep crimson and gold mixed in. "How do I use these things?"_

 _"It's very simple, really," Hael said, standing up. Sam stood up with her. She took him by the hand instructing, "Just focus on where you want to go, and flap your wings."_

 _Sam focused on the church, picturing it in his mind. Then he gave his new wings a great flap, and they were gone._

 **Lebanon, Kansas, 2014**

"It took me a couple of tries, but eventually we got to the church," Angel Sam said, "After he managed to wrap his head around all this we hulled ass back to the bunker and started working our bus load of problems. It took us a month just figure out how to get my body back."

"Something we were both glad for," Castiel commented.

"And what about Crowley?" Dean asked, "Where is he now?"

"Cabin in the woods," The universe's Dean answered, "He had some trouble coping with his humanity. But the cabin's nearby, so we can check in and make sure he hasn't started causing trouble again. So far the worst thing he's done is invent fish jerky."

Kevin made a face, uttering " _Belch,"_ making Hael giggle. The boys wondered if maybe there was something going on between those two.

"And her?" Sam asked, pointing at Hael.

"Kevin found sound a spell in the back of the archives," Hael explained, focused on Kevin, practically glowing adoration, "Fixed me right up."

"Oh," Kevin said, sudden bashful under the weight of her worship, "It was nothing."

Dean could take it no longer. "Alright, I'm just gonna ask," He said, directed at the two love birds, pointing at them both as he continued, "Are you two...you know...a thing?"

Kevin and Hael exchanged looks, breaking their hands that no had noticed they were holding before apart. "Us?" Kevin exclaimed.

"No," Hael said quickly.

"No way," Kevin agreed, "Just friends."

"I mean," Hael, "We're not even the same species. Plus, he's the prophet of God, that's like, two different kinds of forbidden."

Neither Sam nor Dean were buying it, and both their alternate universe counterparts were giving them knowing looks implying the others indulged the young couple by pretending not to know what was going on.

"Enough stalling," Castiel spoke up, "Can you please explain why the Dean of your universe has the Mark?"

"What's the big deal about that-whatever it is anyway?" That universe's Dean asked.

"It's the Mark of Cain," Castiel explained.

"Cain?" Dean repeated.

Cas nodded.

"As in the first murderer?" Angel Sam asked, "The guy we're supposed to be descended from?"

"The very same," Cas confirmed.

"How _did_ you get that on your arm?" Sam questioned the two other men.

Dean took a deep breath, then began. "Okay, the first thing you need to understand is," He began, "Things didn't work out exactly like it did here. I manage to get there in time to stop this Sam," He gestured to his brother, "From finishing the Trails, so Hell stayed open, the angels fell and Sam wound up coma. In hindsight, maybe I should've just let him finished."

"No, stopping him was probably wise," Cas said, "In your universe, death could've very well meant death, plus..." His voice trailed off.

"It's alright Cas, just say it," Angel Sam said, "I'm a crappy angel."

"I wouldn't use the word 'crappy'," Cas said, "It's just..."

"You keep breaking stuff," That universe's Dean spoke up, "You gotta remember you're super-strong now. What was once a tap is now a punch. You see," He continued, pointing around the room, and pacing, "I don't think there's a thing in this room he hadn't busted at some point. Not a shelf, not a book, he's broke it all at some point because he didn't know how freaking strong he is!"

Sam and Dean looked around the room. Everything appeared intact.

"Oh, he uses his healing ability to fix what he breaks," The universe's Dean explained, "But still! After a year you'd think he's get it!"

"And he also hasn't handle hearing angel radio very well," Castiel said.

"All those voices in my head were driving me nuts!" Angel Sam protested, gesturing to Castiel and Hael with his hands, "Seriously I don't know how either of you stand it!"

"Which doesn't explain why it took three hours for you to block it out after both of us showed you how," Hael commented.

"Oh, like anyone could understand his diagram," Sam said, pointing at Cas, "Can we please get back to matter at hand?" He gestured to Dean and said, "You were saying? I-he-we were in a coma."

"Yeah," Dean said, "So I reach out to Cas because I wasn't aware of his situation at the time and when he didn't respond, in my infinite wisdom I set out a call out for any angel with ears to come help. In hindsight, given our history with angels that might have been a fairly stupid thing to do."

"What happened?" That universe's Dean asked.

"An angel showed up at the hospital started beating up on me, wanting to know where Cas was," Dean said, "And then this other angel showed up and killed that angel, claiming he wanted to help. He managed to convince me he's legit so I take him up to Sam's room when a couple of more angels attack. And then it turns out the guy's not as strong as he thought, but he has an idea of how to save Sam, possess him and heal him from the inside. I went with it."

"You what?!" Both that universe's Sam and Dean said simultaneously.

"I know," Dean moaned, "I'm not gonna even try to justify it, but I did it."

"And you," Angel Sam asked of his human self, "You actually agreed to this?"

"I was in a coma," Human Sam reminded them all, "I didn't agree to anything. Gadreel tricked me into saying yes."

"Gadreel?" Castiel interrupted, "As in the angel who let the snake into the garden?"

"Yeah," Dean admitted, "Only he said his name was Ezekiel and when I ran him by you said he okay."

"Oh," Cas replied.

"And did you ever tell him?" Angel Sam asked, gesturing toward his human self.

"Only after Gadreel took over and killed Kevin," Dean said, bracing himself for the blowback.

"What?!" Everyone in the room from that universe said in chorus.

"So, I'm dead in your universe?" Kevin asked.

"Yes," Dean answered sadly.

"Okay, let me just say, I like our universe better," Kevin declared.

"And why are you still here?" Angel Sam asked, addressed to human Sam, "With him? I mean, he tricked you into letting an angel in you, and then killed someone you care about, how can you forgive him?"

"I didn't," Human Sam replied, "Not for a long time. In fact for a while there I wouldn't even see him, then something happen with a friend and I decided we should at least work together professionally but I still wouldn't be in the same room with the guy if I didn't have to, we were practically living separately. Then the Mark started making Dean crazy and I still wasn't ready to let it go, but I was still concerned because, you know, I've been there. Then when he died in my arms, that kind of made everything else seem really small."

The room was silent for a minute.

"Yeah," Angel Sam said at last, "I can see that happening."

"But how did all this lead to Dean bearing the Mark in the first place?" Hael asked, directing everyone back to the original concern.

"You guys remember Abaddon, right?" Dean asked.

"How could we forget?" That universe's Dean replied.

"Well, in our universe she got her meat suit back and made a run for Queen of Hell," Dean explained, "And with a still demon Crowley locked up in our basement he couldn't stop her. But we had to let him out to...to get Gadreel out of Sam. After that...I was in a bad way, I mean you know me, so you can imagine, and Crowley talked me into trying to find the First Blade, the only weapon able to kill a Knight Of Hell. We tracked down what we thought was the blade, but turned out to be the blade's source," Dean held his arm out for all to see," This thing here. Of course, at the time, it was still on Cain. And not only was Cain refusing to help, it turned out he didn't even had the Blade anymore. He threw it into the deepest part of the ocean. Then a bunch of Abaddon's goons show up, and me and Crowley start fighting them, and then Cain said the mark could be passed on to someone who's worthy, a killer like him. He said he's pass it to me, on the condition that when he asked me to, I'd kill him. He also tried to warn me what was gonna happen when I took it, but I was in no mood to listen so-here we are."

Once again the room went silent.

"We've got all the other stuff dealt with," Human Sam interjected," So we've basically been devoting all our time to working on figuring out a way to get that thing off him."

"Except for this case you were working that got you here," That universe's Dean pointed out.

"Yeah," Dean said, "Except for this."

"What was that spell again?" Kevin asked.

A few minutes later the strange group surrounded a very old, leather-bound spell book on the table.

"Ah ha!" Kevin suddenly shouted in victory, pointing at some writing.

Everyone gathered around him.

"I think I know what your problem is," Kevin said, "According this, you can't specify whatever universe you drop someone in, only where you call them back to."

"So what are suppose to do then?" Dean exclaimed.

"The way I see it, you got two options," Kevin said, "Stay here and wait for her to summon you, or bring some extra stuff with you to perform the spell again in case you wind up in another wrong universe."

Sam and Dean exchanged looks. "We'll take the second option," Sam said, "She said she just wanted to give herself a head start, but frankly I don't trust a witch to rescue us."

"That's probably a good call," That universe's Dean agreed, before murmuring under his breath, "Freakin' witches."

An hour later they hand all the ingredients for the spell and some of the extras. Angel Sam had gone to get the rest.

They were separating the extras from what was needed when he remobilized with the flapping of wings, nearly falling over with all he was holding. Human Sam, his Dean and the Dean of the that universe hurried over to help him. "I told you someone should have gone with you," That universe's Dean said grabbing the aconite.

As they put the stuff on the table angel Sam said, "Looks like you guys are good to go."

"Not quite yet," Hael said, running up to the table carrying a long canvas bag. She put it on the table, next to the extras, "Though it might make it a little easier to carry."

"Ah, thanks," Human Sam said, not believing anyone hadn't thought of that before now, as Dean but the extras in the bag.

"So, who gets to do the honors?" That's universe's Dean wondered aloud.

"You can do it," Angel Sam offered.

"Yeah," Kevin agreed.

"I see no problem with it," Castiel added in.

Dean took a look at the spell and said, "Nah, it's okay, one of you guys can do it."

"Uh, Dean," Angel Sam said, "I don't actually think I can pronounce that."

"Well, I don't think I can either," Dean said. They both turned to Kevin.

"What's make you think I can do it?" The boy asked.

As they all augured over who would have to try to pronounce the spell, Dean turned to the human Sam, "I think we might be stuck here."

"All right," Dean gave in, "I'll do." And with that he mixed the ingredients and began. "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

Once again as that universe's Dean spoke, wind started swirling out of nowhere, knocking anything down that wasn't nailed down.

"Well, here goes nothing," Dean said, before being engulfed in whiteness.


	7. A Hair-Raisng Incident Is Witnessed

**AN: I have family coming over this weekend, so I'm posting this a little early. Sorry that it's so short, but next week's will more than make up for it.**

This time when their vision cleared they found themselves on a bed of green grass. As they righted themselves the grass was cluttered with brightly colored flowers. They turned around and saw a gray stone wall with an oval-shaped opening. They looked and saw two grand imposing towers, looming over them in either side.

"Okay," Sam said, "I'm gonna go out on a limb and say we're in some sort of-medieval times universe."

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and agree with you," Dean replied, "But where are we? I mean, the _Spamalot_ version of us."

"No clue," Sam said, "But hey, probably for the best. The less we have to explain the sooner we can try this again."

The brothers leaned down, and Dean opened the bag. As Sam sat the bowel down they heard a wet smacking sound from nearby. They turned and realized it was coming from behind a white rose bush. Dean started to walk over to bush when Sam put his long arm in front of him saying, "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, you know that's probably one of us."

"Or it could be some dragon or something that wants to eat us," Dean said.

Before Sam could point out that if that was the case they should get out of there even faster a voice, a hushed whisper they could barely hear, said, "Dean, I think someone's here."

"It's alright," Another hushed whisper, Dean's apparently, said, "It's alright, we weren't doing anything wrong."

Dean smirked as Sam rolled his eyes. Some things never changed.

"If they think my virtue's not intact..." The other voice trailed off.

"You always jump to that Cas!" Dean whispered, annoyed, "We were just kissing, that's all. No one's gonna catch us in even if someone does, half this castle knows you're practically a perpetual virgin."

"Hold on," Dean said, slightly horrified, "Did I just say Cas?"

"There are a dozen girls' name Cas could be short for," Sam said, seeing where Dean was going, "Cassie, Cassandra..."

But it was too late. Dean was already heading towards the bush, He pushed it back and revealed two male youths: One with his shortly clipped light brown hair, and green eyes, could have easily been a teenage Dean. If teenage Dean had worn leather jerkins. The other had a pair of very black wings sporting out of his back. And if that wasn't enough proof that he was who the older Dean thought he was, he had scruffy dark hair, and sapphire blue eyes, now very wide and staring up at the two older men.

The older Dean exclaimed, horrified, "Why the Hell are you behind a rose bush with him?"


	8. A Strange Fairy Tale

The younger Dean and Castiel hurried to their feet. Dean put an arm protectively in front of the young angel. "Cas, get inside," He commanded, "It's probably best if no one knew you were here."

"Are you saying I was right?" Cas questioned.

"You can view that way if you want," Dean said hastily, pulling a sword from a stealth at his side that matched the jerkin, "Just get out of here!"

Cas did as he was told, turning around and running out of view.

"Who the Hell and you and what the Hell are you doing here?" Dean demanded of the two older men, a dangerous edge in his voice, his sword trained on them, "And what the Hell are you wearing?"

"What the Hell are _we_ doing here?" The older Dean responded, "What the Hell are you doing making out with Cas behind a bush?! Seriously what is with that?!"

"Ah, Dean," Sam spoke up, "I don't think it's good idea to question the guy who's holding a sword on us, and looks like he's ready to use it."

"Your unusually tall friend is right," The younger Dean said, rather defensively," What me and my betrothed do is none of your concern." The a thought occurred to him and he added, "And how did you know he's call Cas for short? Have you been spying on us?!"

"Look," Sam spoke up in sooth, calm voice, trying to clam teenage Dean down, "We're not spying on you. We're not even suppose to be here."

"You got that right," Teenage Dean said.

"We didn't even mean to be here," Sam continued, "Look, I know it might not seem like it, but there is simple explanation for all of this-okay, it's not actually simple, but it is an explanation. If you would just hear us out..."

Before Sam could finish there was a thunderous stomping of feet heading in their direction. "Of course he goes and gets the guards," Teenage Dean murmured under his breath.

"Okay, that settles it," Older Dean said picking up a bowel and a bag," We're getting out of here."

Sam said nothing but followed Dean in quick secession as they rushed out of the garden to the doorway they had seen.

"They went this way, follow me," They heard teenage Dean's voice say, and they picked up their pace. They rounded the corner and ran down the next hallway, then another, and from there it split off in two different directions. They took the right then turned the next corner before finally ducking into the one of the rooms shutting the door behind them. After catching their breath, they able to take in their surroundings. Judging by the canopy bed which was the focal point of the room, it was some sort of bed room or guess room, which also contained a polished, ancient-looking bureau, thick brown fur rug, and pretty tapestry of birds and dogs hanging on the wall.

"Okay," Sam said grabbing the bowel from Dean and sitting it on the floor, "Let's just do the spell and get out of here."

"Yeah," Dean agreed, "The sooner we get out of this crazy universe the better. I mean the kid said bothered. How the Hell did I -he-we get engaged to Cas?"

 **The Kingdom of Lawrence, 1405**

 _"Come on, Sammy!" A then ten-year-old Prince Dean called out to his then six-year-old brother, Prince Samuel, as they ran through the fields that surrounded their home fortress._

 _Sam ran to catch up his older brother, picking up a brightly painted wooden ball. He tossed it to Dean, who caught it. "Hey, Sam," Dean said, putting the ball down, "Watch this." He kicked the ball between his feet, moving his legs in quick secession. Then he gave the ball a good swift kick, causing it roll down the field and hit a tree where the meadow and a nearby forest met. Neither noticed the little gasp from behind the tree when the ball hit._

 _Both boys ran to get the ball, but Dean was the first to see a shaking black mass from behind the tree. "Stay here," He said holding out an arm to stop his younger brother. Dean, however, slowly approached the tree, looking behind it and met with quite the surprise: A small boy-an angel Dean realized, seeing the black mass were a pair of unkempt wings- about the same age as Dean, scuttled away from him in fear, trying to get away from the human. The poor little creature was covered in cuts scrapes and bruises, and blood running from a gash in his left forearm spill onto a ripped-up dirty sleeve. He was shaking and his face was shiny and slick with tears._

 _Dean offered a hand to the angel boy, but he tried to scurry even further away, whimpering. "It's alright," Dean said, "I'm not gonna hurt you. My name's Dean, and that's my brother Sam over there." He pointed towards Sam who sneaked a little closer to the scene, then he turned back to the young angel, "What's your name?"_

 _"Castiel," The boy sniffled._

 _"That's a nice name," Dean said, ripping his own sleeve and crawling slowly over Castiel, gingerly, as if one was approaching a wounded animal. He wrapped the torn fabric around Castiel's injured arm asking, "What happened to you?"_

 _"I was kidnapped by demons but I escaped," Castiel replied, holding back a sob, "Now I don't know where I am."_

 _"It's alright," Dean reassured Castiel applying pressure to the young angel's wound, "You're safe now." He turned back to his little brother. "Sam, go get Bobby."_

 _Sam turned around and hurried down the way, older to see a man with in leathered armor coming into the view. "I told you boys to stay where I could see you!" He was saying as he saw the young boy._

 _"Bobby, Dean found an angel!" Was Sam's response, pointing towards the tree, "I think he's hurt."_

 _Sir Robert Singer looked over where Sam was pointing and ran over to the tree. "What the-" He said when he saw Dean and the injured angel._

 _"Bobby, this is Castiel," Dean explained, "Demons kidnapped him and he got away but he's hurt. We need to get him to Master Robert."_

 _Master Robert was the court physician._

 _"Alright," Bobby said keeping his cool, "Get him and let's go."_

 _Dean stood up and tried to pull Castiel up, but the boy wouldn't budge, he was still too afraid._

 _"It's alright," Dean said, "Bobby's a friend, he won't hurt you. And your under my protection now, so one's gonna lay a finger on you."_

 _And with that coaxing Castiel allowed himself to taken into the castle to Master Robert's chambers._

 _"I have to say," Master Robert, an elderly gentleman with gray hair and a thin white beard said finishing the examination, "It could have been much worst. The worst injury is the cut on the arm, a few cracked ribs, painful, but not lethal, and the wing is only dislocated." He turned to his apprentice, a young woman with shoulder-length black hair and said, "Eva, fetch the healing herbs ,balm, some cloth to hold everything in place, and some fresh water."_

 _Eva quickly grabbed the herbs and cloth from a shelf, and poured water from an earthenware pitcher into a metal bowl, then walked over Master Robert. First the physician washed Castiel's wrists, which were red and raw with restraint marks, as well as the cut on his arm, and wrapped clean white cloth around them, then applied the balm, and wrapped it in cloth as well. "I'll need you take off your robe to set your ribs." He instructed his patient._

 _Castiel hesitated, looking rather uncomfortable and embarrassed._

 _"Don't worry, dear boy," Master Robert assured him, "It's nothing I haven't seen before."_

 _Castiel grabbed the sides of his robe and lifted it up above his head. He closed his eyes and laid back on the table._

 _Master Robert put the herbs on Castiel's chest and wrapped the cloth around his chest. "There you, go," He said, tightening the cloth, "All done."_

 _Castiel sat up and was about to retrieve to soiled garment to put back on, a thirteen-year-old girl with fiery red hair knocked on the chamber door. She was holding a set of fresh clothes._

 _"Come in Charlie," Master Robert said._

"Please don't Charlie," _Castiel thought. It was bad enough that his nakedness was exposed to all of them, now a girl, too?_

 _Charlie sat the clothes down beside Castiel._

 _"Thanks Charlie," Dean said._

 _Charlie was Bobby's squire. He had told her to stay with the boys while he informed their father of recent events, then Dean had asked her to run and get Castiel some fresh clothes._

 _Castiel slipped on the breeches and started to slip the lose brown tunic over himself when he felt a searing pain in his right wing when the cloth touched._

 _Master Robert took a gentle hold of the wing. "I've never treated an angel before," He said, "I don't want to make this worst..."_

 _"Sir Robert's shown me how to set a bird's wing before," Charlie offered, climbing up on the table, "It's basically the same thing I think." She then turned her attention Castiel, "This is going to hurt a bit. I'm gonna count to three, and then I'm gonna pull them together."_

 _Dean could tell that Castiel wasn't looking forward to more pain, even though the little angel was trying to put on a brave face. Dean grabbed his hand._

 _"One," Charlie began, "Two, three!" Charlie pulled the two parts of the wings together. Castiel screamed in pain squeezing Dean's hand for all it was worth._

 _"There you go," Charlie said, "It's over."_

 _Dean then took the tunic which Castiel had discarded while his wing was being set, and sliced two holes in it with his knife, before offering it again to the angel._

 _"Thank you," Castiel said softly, putting the tunic on._

 _Just then there was the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. Soon a blonde woman dressed in a green wool dress fitted closely at the bust with long lose sleeves and a gold colored belt._

 _Everyone in the room, except Castiel bowed and seeing this he quickly joined them. "Your majesty," Master Robert said._

 _Castiel's ears poked up at that. Majesty? He already figured that Dean was nobility, but he though his father was Lord or Duke, maybe. Your majesty was a term you used for the King and his immediate family, and only that. Castiel swallowed. He was in trouble now._

 _Dean could feel Castiel had started shaking again. "What's wrong, Cas?" He asked._

 _"May I come in?" The Queen asked._

 _"Certainly my lady," Master Robert replied._

 _The Queen walked into the room and walked over to the bed, sitting down beside her son and the little angel. "Castiel," She began, "I'm Dean's mother Queen Mary."_

 _Castiel's heart started thumping rapidly in his chest, his face turning stark white._

 _"Don't be scared, Cas," Dean said, "My mother's not gonna hurt you." He thought that maybe Castiel's ordeal had made him frightened of all strangers._

 _"Sweetheart, I know you've been through a lot," Mary said, "But it's important for us to know what happened to you and what's going on. If demons are freely crossing our borders we need to stop them, and we'd like to return you to your family."_

 _Cas' eyes widened. "No," He said, vehemently shaking his head, tears forming at his eyes, "I can't go back! They'll kill me, please don't make me go back there!"_

 _"No one's making you go back anywhere," Dean said, "Look at me."_

 _Castiel turned so he was staring at Dean's face._

 _"You're under my protection, remember," Dean reminded him, "That means, I'll make sure that if anyone was tries to hurt you again, very bad things will happen to them, no matter who they are."_

 _Mary felt both proud and worried at the same time. Proud because the way Dean had firmly talked to Castiel, the way he held himself and was sure in his power, the way he had handled this whole situation in fact, staying calmed and taking charge, showed that he had the potential to be a great king when the time came. Worried because she wasn't sure if her son would be able to keep his promise, especially if this boy was who the adults thought he was. But one thing at a time. "Castiel, who will kill if you go home?"_

 _"My brothers," Cas replied, tears welling up in his eyes again, "The demons told me they paid them to take me off and kill me." He was silent a minute, then said, "What did I do wrong?" The tears were streaming down his face again. He was clearly hurt emotionally by the idea that his own family wanting him dead._

 _Everyone's heart collectively broke._

 _"Oh Cas," Dean said, gingerly hugging the little angel, trying to offer some comfort. Castiel sobbed into Dean's shoulder._

 _Mary found herself horrified at prospect that a child's family would try to have him killed, and so cruelly, too! However she was also skeptical that this was the truth, though she didn't think the deception was on Castiel's part._

 _Once Castiel had calmed down Mary started again. "Castiel," She started, "Nothing you did could've warranted what happened to you. But-demons lie. It's likely they only told you that to mess with your head."_

 _Castiel didn't reply but there was a glimmer of hope in his eye._

 _"What would really help us figure out if the truth is if we know where you live and who your family is," Mary went on, "I'm sure your parents are worried about you."_

 _"They're -they're gone,'' Castiel said, his eyes downcast, "They both disappeared last year."_

 _"So it's been your brothers who have been taking care of you since?" Mary question. She was hoping that Castiel would be generous in giving information and give his family's name._

 _Castiel just nodded._

 _"Castiel, I really need your family's name," Mary said penitently._

 _"Michael and Lucifer...Angelus," Cas said at last, "I wasn't trying to hide it, really I wasn't , it's just...no one asked, and then..."_

 _"Then you were afraid of what would happen if we knew because of the issues our two kingdoms have had?" Mary guess._

 _Again, Cas nodded._

 _"This doesn't change anything," Dean said, taking Cas' hand and squeezing it._

 _After Mary had finished she left the boys in Masters Roberts champers she went up to her husband's office, where King John and Sir Robert were waiting for her._

 _"So?" John said, once Mary had enter._

 _"Bobby was right," Mary said, "It's Castiel Angelus."_

 _John had been secluded to travel to the Kingdom of Dangaus to discuss a treaty between the two lands the week before than King Michael sent word that due to circumstances beyond his control they would have to reschedule. Then an angel the same age and with the same name of the youngest prince appears with a tale of being kidnapped by demons. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together. Bobby was the one who suggested sending Mary down to question him, saying this needed a gentler approach._

 _"And you think he's telling the truth about being kidnapped my demons?" John asked._

 _"He reeks of sulfur," Mary answered, "And he's properly traumatized. There's no way he's faking."_

 _"But why take him through Lawrence?" John questioned, "If it was an assassination attempt why not just kill him right where they found him and if it was some sort of ransom grab there are quicker routes to Perdition."_

 _Perdition was the kingdom where the demons resided. No other species wanted to live there and no one wanted demons anywhere else._

 _"Isn't it obvious?" Bobby responded, "The whole reason Michael Angelus even wanted to discuss a treaty was that mutual enemy. We have almost nothing else to offer each other. But killing a prince of Dangaus and making it look like we did it? It'd be war. And that's probably what would've happened if the little guy hadn't escaped. How they'd manage to snatch him up in the first place that's what I'd like to know."_

 _"One minute Castiel's the courtyard," Mary began, "Next thing he knows he's got a sweet-smelling rag over his mouth, loses consciousness wakes up bound hand and foot with his flight feather ripped out surrounded by demons. They traveled for about week, then just when they were about ready to-well, you can guess," For whatever reason she couldn't bring herself to say kill, "I guess they wanted to have their fun first, so one cut him on his arm and accidently cut the rope and his feathers had grown but enough to get in the air little until he hit a tree, but I guess at that point he had enough of head start to get away, then he couldn't go anymore and just fell out where Dean found him."_

 _"How's he's doing now?" Bobby asked._

 _"By the time he was done telling us everything he was a sobbing mess," Mary answered, "God only knows what they did to the poor child during that week; he wouldn't go into detail and I wasn't about to press him for anything we didn't actually need. He's calmed down, mostly, but he's still terrified and clinging to Dean for dear life. But, John there's something else..."_

 _"What?" John said, wondering that out of all this what could be so bad that Mary would hesitate, "What is it?"_

 _"They were probably lying," Mary began, "But the demons told them they paid by his brothers to carry him off and do the deed."_

 _For second you could have heard a pin drop in the room._

 _"You're right, they were probably lying about it just for the Hell of it," John said._

 _"So," Bobby said, "What are gonna do about this?"_

 _"I'm gonna send a message to Angelus telling him what happened," John replied, setting down at his desk, "Suggest I return him personally and discuss terms of an alliance. With the demons this bold it's more important than ever for us to unite against him."_

 _"That last line was good," Mary said, "Work that in."_

 _King Michael quickly sent correspondence back agreeing to John's terms and asking about his brother. The man's concern for his brother convinced John the demons were lying about their reasons for taking him._

 _The only problem now was tearing Castiel away Dean. The human prince hadn't left the young angel's side since he had found him. That first night when Mary went to check on Castiel as well as Sam and Dean, and found both the older boys in the chamber she arranged to Castiel to sleep in, in the same bed. Apparently he had some sort of nightmare and Dean woke him up from it, and only meant to stay until the angel had fallen back to sleep. The two hadn't spent a second apart since. Dean was the only one Castiel felt safe with, and Dean felt responsible for Castiel._

 _"Why don't you just bring the boy along?" Bobby said after a pitiful attempt to explain to both boys why Dean couldn't accompany them._

 _Dean had tried to be at least fake acceptance, but Castiel clung to Dean even tighter with that lost puppy look. It was clear that they would need crowbar to separate the two._

 _"It's a good chance for him to learn about diplomatic relations first hand," Bobby continued._

 _John rubbed his chin thinking over Bobby's point._

 _"But it is really wise for him to learn it with a country we've engaged with brinkmanship with for centuries?" Mary interjected._

 _"Do you know of one we_ haven't _?" Bobby replied._

 _"Bobby's right," John said, "But I'll only do it if you agree."_

 _"Alright," Mary said, "But if anything happens to him-"_

 _"It won't my love," John reassured his queen._

 _"Not on my watch, my lady," Bobby second._

 _It was a two day journey from Lawrence to Dangaus. King Michael , his wife, Queen Naomi, the royal family's middle brother, Prince Lucifer, as well as dozen knights met them inside the entrance of the castle._

 _The two groups stood within inches of each other. Dean and Castiel looked at each other._

 _"It's alright," Dean said letting go of Cas' hands, "Go."_

 _Despites his reservations Castiel ran towards his older brother. Michael tossed all decorum to the wind, crouching down to his little brother's height and scooping him up in a tight embrace, covering him with his pearlescent white wings. "I'm never letting you out of my sight again," He whispered in Casitel's ear, "Oh, you sweet boy." Once he let Castiel go he looked at John. "Thank you returning our little brother safely to us."_

 _"You're welcome," John replied, "We were more than happy to."_

 _Michael whipped the tears of relief from his face and regained his composure. "Eliah," He called to a nearby servant, "See Lord Winchester and his entourage up to the Great Hall. I will be with them to discuss negotiations shortly."_

 _When Michael was sure they were out of ear shot, he spoke again, "Castiel, before these negotiations can go any further I need to know some things about your time with the humans."_

 _Cas was confused. The humans? Why would his time with the humans matter? Wouldn't it better serve to talk about the demons? "W-why?"_

 _"Don't be impertinent just answer the question," Lucifer snapped._

 _Michael shot him a warning look that silenced him. It was not lost on him that this was the first thing their middle sibling had said since Castiel got back. Michael also noted that Lucifer had been strangely unemotional not just today but through this whole ordeal._

 _"It will be prudent to the negotiations," Michael answered simply," The first thing I need to know is it the truth that you were kidnapped by demons?"_

 _"Yes," Castiel said, surprised and confused by the question, "Why would I make something like that up?"_

 _"I don't think you would," Michael said, "It's the King of Lawrence I don't trust. "_

 _Castiel didn't understand, but didn't say anything for fear of being rebuked again._

 _"And how were you treated?" Michael asked, "By the humans I mean?"_

 _"They bandaged where the demons cut me," Castiel said, rolling up the sleeve of purple tunic he was wearing, reveling white cloth, "And the other places I was injured, too. And everyone was really nice."_

 _"Thank you, Castiel," Michael said almost his usual self, then turning to Naomi and Lucifer, said, "Leave us and head to the great hall. Wait for outside, I'll be with you shortly."_

 _Naomi and Lucifer turned and left, leaving the Michael and Castiel alone. It occurred to Castiel that this was the first time in the year since their father's disappearance they had actually spent more than two minutes with each other. Due the significant age different between them Castiel and his older brothers had never been that close to begin with, but with the duties of King, and during a time of great turmoil at that, with the demons getting restless and bolder, Michael hadn't had much time for Castiel._

 _"I'm gonna put two guards outside your room," He said, " You are not to leave there until I come get you, do you understand?"_

 _Castiel nodded._

 _"Good," Michael said, "This is probably the last thing you need to hear right now but we still haven't found how the intruders brought in, so I am not taking any chances. Would like Rachel, or another servant to sit with you?"_

 _Castiel looked down at his foot. He still didn't want to be alone but at the same time he didn't want his brother to think he was baby. "No," He said eventually in small voice._

 _Seeing right through him, Michael said, "I'll have her stay near, just in case." Then he just stood there, staring down at Castiel._

 _This was something else Castiel didn't understand. Michael had already said he had to get to the negotiations, he even sent Naomi and Lucifer ahead. So why was he standing here just looking at him?_

 _As if reading his mind Michael said, "I'm just not ready to take my eye off you yet."_

 _But at last, Michael turned to two guards and Rachel, the maid he had mentioned, and said, "You can take him now." But he watched them until they were out of sight._

 _John and others were waiting in the great, hall, standing in front of a long table when Michael arrived. The angel king proceeded in first, followed by his advisers and a small number of guards._

 _The two kings stared at each other for a moment and then Michael sat down. John did the same, sitting across from him. "So," John began, "Where do you want to start my Lord?"_

 _"I'd say a good place to start would be our mutual enemy, " Michael said, "Both of our kingdoms have been in an undeclared war with Perdition for generations. They have terrorized your people, at least on the borders, for years, and lately they've been hard to keep in check on our borders as well. And now they have committed an act that is tantamount to declaring war. So, I say it's time we make it official."_

 _The already tense air grew heavy with the weight of what Michael was insinuating._

 _"You mean combined the forces of our two armies to go up against the demons?" John replied._

 _"That's_ exactly _what I mean," Michael confirmed, "With our combined forces we would outnumber Crowley's men 10 to 1. We could for once and for all, bring them to heel."_

 _This was like music to John's ears. "I think that's something we can agree on. I'll agree to this."_

 _"Then we are getting off to a good start indeed," Michael said, "Now I believe we also wanted to discuss trade routes."_

 _The delegation spent the next two days of that day working out all the details of the new alliance. Not all negotiations were as easy as the decision to combine their armies against the demons but they were eventually able to come up with compromises that both sides could work with. The only thing left do now was to find a way to seal it. Normally this would be done through marriage, but Michael and Naomi's only child had been promised to the son of a count the year prior and John and Mary only had boys._

 _"There is one other option," Michael, said, "A union between my brother and one of your sons, probably Dean since they're close in age, unless you've already set a match for him."_

 _John laughed out loud, thinking Michael was joking. When that laughter was met with somewhat awkward silence, he realized the angel king wasn't._

 _"You-you're serious?" John asked, taken aback._

 _"As the Plague," Michael replied calmly. He understood that while there was precedence in their society for what he was suggesting, this was probably unheard of in the human realm._

 _"Look, other people engage in..." John began, "Alternative relationships, that's their business, but Dean will need to produce an heir."_

 _Naomi looked over at Michael. "My King, may I explain this part."_

 _"Certainly," Michael allowed._

 _"There's a spell, actually a couple of different ones," Naomi explained, "That can allow a male angel to bear children. It's used mainly in noble families with a surplus of male heirs, especially in situations like this, where there are no female children."_

 _"I'm sorry, I'm just going to need to moment to get my mind around this," John said._

 _"Take your time," Michael said, "It is a lot to process if you weren't already acquainted with the custom."_

 _John glanced over at Dean to see if he was taking this any better. The boy had been quiet and respectful through all the negations, not even speaking when the conversation had turned to his future. The boy's eyes were darting back and forth around the room, appearing to be mulling all this over._

 _"Dean," He said, "Do you understand what's going on?"_

 _Dean knew exactly what was going on. They were talking about his future marriage. Despite Dean's hope to avoid an arrange marriage, forging his own path as a warrior and making a love-match, he come to accept the facts that his parents would plan his betrothal for him. As future king it was Dean's duty to do what was best for Lawrence and if this was it, then this was it. Besides he liked Castiel. Even in arranged marriage love could grow, it did for his parents. Maybe even with the unusual situation, they could still find love. "You want me to marry Cas," He answer, "Castiel I mean. And they're saying that they have a spell that him have babies. My babies."_

 _John was both surprised and impressed by his son's maturity and understanding of the situation._

 _"Boy had a better grasp of this then most of us do." Bobby commented._

 _"I'll need to send a letter to my Queen and tell her what's happened," John said, "If she consents then we have an accord." When Mary fell pregnant with Dean she made John promise not to make any major decisions in regards to their children's future's such as marriage contracts, without consulting her._

 _"Very well," Michael said, "You can use one my messengers; they can get it there faster through flight."_

 _"As long you're waiting," Lucifer spoke up, "Would wish to inspect Castiel?"_

 _Michael thought the urge to punch his brother in the face. He had no doubt that Lucifer would enjoy watching shy Castiel squirm as John looked him over. What he had against their little brother Michael would never know._

 _"That will not be necessary," John said, "I'm sure he's acceptable. According the Court Physician he's very healthy and very strong. And I think we can all agree he's very brave. If this all work out I would be very please to call him family."_

 _"Thank you," Michael said._

 _After sending for a messenger, Michael examined the back of Lucifer's head trying to figure out what he was thinking. While he had no proof Michael was becoming more and more sure of what had happened. And he was more and more sure about what he had to do about it._

 _The angel messenger had in fact got the massager to Mary and her response back to them in half the time, about a day. Mary gave her consent, so more negotiations began. This time marriage negotiations._

 _This time within only a few hours, a substantial dowry had been reached and a time frame for the wedding, when both Dean and Castiel turned eighteen. It appeared that everything was in order and the children's guardians could sign, when Michael said, "There was one more thing I would like to discuss."_

 _John raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What is it?"_

 _"I know this is a lot to ask, considering you just brought him back," Michael began, "But with what has just happened would take Castiel back with you? For his own safety. The demons have already made an attempt on his life once, if he stays here they'll only try again, and the next time they might be more successful."_

 _Just then Michael felt another angel's wings tap up against him, trying to get his attention. His eyes turned downward and he saw a blood red feather that had become dislodged during the contact, indicated just who it was. He hadn't told Lucifer what he was planning on doing; he hadn't told anyone what he was planning on doing, he didn't know who to trust anymore. Which was one of the reasons he was doing this._

 _When Michael didn't respond, Lucifer took it on himself to speak up. "Pardon me, my lord, but isn't this over-reacting just a bit? I mean why would the demons go to so much trouble over someone who is fourth in the line succession."_

 _"And yet they already have," Michael said, an edge in his voice. Lucifer was the last person he wanted to hear on this matter, considering that Michael was convinced Castiel's kidnapping was his doing._

 _Michael had good reason to think this. For starters since Castiel was five months of age Lucifer's behavior towards the child had been antagonistic, and since their father's disappearance while inspecting troops on the border, and their mother's disappearance shortly after during an a brief sojourn to her family's lands, that behavior had been downright hateful at times. Also, Lucifer's low opinion of humans was the worst kept secret in the four realms. When Michael announced his plan to pursue an official alliance with Lawrence, a fight ensued that ended in Lucifer breaking a pitcher by throwing it against the wall, barely missing Michael's head. Then demons not only somehow penetrate the walls of the royal castle, but manage to carrying off a member of the royal family, and one that, as Lucifer himself just pointed out, was too low on line succession to be worth that risk, only to take him to the human kingdom? It didn't take a genius to put it all together. Lucifer had allied himself with the demons, helped them into the castle and let them take his own brother to kill him just to start a war with Lawrence. Unforunately he needed more than circumstantial evidence to change a son of the royal household with treason. For now all that Michael could do was bide his time, try to figure out what the next step was. And that meant making sure Castiel couldn't become a pawn again, make sure he was safe, and if that meant sending away then, so be it._

 _"So, Lord Winchester," Michael said, turning his attention to John, "What say you?"_

 _"I agree with entirely," John said, "It would be best for him to come with us."_

 _The next day, Castiel watched forlorn from his bedroom windows as the humans prepared for the journey back. He didn't want to go with them. He didn't understand why he had to go with them. He was find with marrying Dean; he knew that as the youngest his job was to make the most adventurous match possible, and Dean was good. But why did he have to leave his land, his home, his family, and after he just got back? Lawrence was still a foreign land; he barely knew any of the customs, the only one he really knew there was Dean._

 _Castiel walked over to his bed and sat on its edge, feeling as if he might start crying. His body tense as he felt a presence in the doorway. He turned slowly to see Naomi standing there as ridged as ever. "The king sent me to fetch you," She explained walking up to the bed, "It's time."_

 _Castiel stood up from the bed but found his feet suddenly glued to the floor. "P-please don't make me do this," He pleaded before he could stop himself. He expected no sympathy for Naomi; she was stern and serious and most of the time scared him._

 _Which is what happened next was so unexpected. Naomi's looked softened and she crouched down so she was as tall as Cas was, spreading her dusky blue wings slightly. "I understand what you're going through," She began, speaking more kindly then she ever had, caressing his face, "I was terrified when I came here to marry Michael, and I was eighteen and had a much larger entourage. And I also wasn't traveling to a foreign land, I can't even imagine that aspect, I won't pretend to. However, we wouldn't do this if we didn't have to, it's killing your brother to send you away."_

 _Tears were forming at Cas' eyes. "Really?"_

 _"Really," Naomi confirm, "But this is the surest way to ensure your safety under the circumstances. You could think of it this way, if it helps; this gives you chance to learn their ways and you and Dean can form an opinion of each other. For me at least, one of the worst things about coming here was marrying a complete stranger. This way it could be different for you."_

 _Castiel wiped his eye. "Alright," He said, trying to take some comfort from her words._

 _"Good," Naomi said, rising to her feet, "Now come, we shouldn't keep them waiting."_

 _Hand in hand the pair walked down to the front entrance of the castle. Waiting for them there was Michael, Lucifer, and even Michael and Naomi's daughter, a little toddler with her father's dark eyes and hair, and wings blue like her mother only a few shades darker. When she saw her mother she ran for her, wrapping herself around Naomi's skirt. She stroked the little girl's hair, before gently removing her from her legs. "Don't you have something to say to your uncle?" She said, nudging the child in Castiel's direction._

 _The girl practically lunged at Castiel ending in an awkward hug. "Goodbye," She said sweetly._

 _Castiel wrapped his arm around the smaller child. "Goodbye, ," He whispered in her ear, "I'll miss you." He couldn't help but wonder if she really understood what was going on. That war was brewing and that he was possibly leaving forever._

 _He finally pried his little niece away and turned to his brothers. Michael had more control over his emotions then the day before, but still embraced his youngest brother. "Be brave," He told him," After what you've endured at the hands of the demons this should be nothing. And remember, whatever happens, we love you."_

 _"I love you too," Cas replied softly, gripping him tighter then he already was, even thought he knew he would have to let go._

 _When he finally did let go, Castiel turned to Lucifer, who looked angry, beyond angry, Cas could sense the rage bubbling beneath the surface. Castiel was very familiar with that look. Lucifer but a hand on the boy's shoulder and said tersely, "Good luck, boy."_

 _Castiel walked outside, holding his head high. His family followed behind him down to his carriage. Michael opened the door and helped him inside. Castiel got as comfortable as he could, sitting beside Rachel, the only person who from Dangaus was coming with him. Soon after the that, they were off._

 _The journey from Dangaus to Lawrence took two days on its quickest route, so they set camp after dark. Dean was in a tent with this father, and Cas, and was fast asleep when he was woken by the sound of whimpering. "Uh," He said aloud to himself, as he sat up in searching for the source of the noise. He saw Cas in the corner of the tent, trashing under his blanket. "Please, stop..." He moaned._

 _Dean pulled back his own blanket, crawled over to Cas, gently nudged the other boy saying, "Cas, wake up. Wake up, you're just dreaming."_

 _Castiel woke up with a start. At first he still looked scared, then confused, as if he didn't know what had happened._

 _"Another nightmare?" Dean guessed._

 _Cas nodded._

 _"You wanna talk about it?" Dean asked._

 _Castiel was silent a minute hesitant, then said, "It was the demons." He paused again then said, "They had me tied up and they pulled my feathers, and..." His voice tailed off._

 _Dean wrapped an arm around the other boy's shaking form, pulling him into an awkward hug. For the first time, Castile hugged back._

 _"It's alright," Dean said, "They'll never gonna lay a finger on you again. I won't let them."_

 _When the embrace finally broke Dean said, "I can stay here until fall back to sleep, if you want."_

 _"You don't have to do that Dean," Castiel said, looking down._

 _"I want to," Dean said, "We're engaged now, and that means it's my job to look after you."_

 _Castiel was quiet for a moment then said, "Alright."_

 _Then he settled back down on the grown, and Dean laid down on top of blanket, next to him, as the pair went back to sleep._

 **The Kingdom of Lawrence, 1413**

"No clue Dean," Sam said, laying out the bowl, "But we need to get out of here before we wind up in a dudgeon."

Meanwhile that universe's Dean was walking that universe's Castiel to his chambers.

"And you're sure you'll be alright?" Dean asked for the tenth time since the couple had reunited after the incident. While far from being identical, this incident bore certain striking parallels to Castiel's kidnapping eight years before. He could only imagine the strain this was putting on him.

"I'm really not that delicate," Cas smiled, "In fact, I'd feel much better if you were with the others looking for these intruders."

"Don't fret, for I'll be joining them right after this," Dean said, "That being said I'd rather not have you going about unescorted until said intruders are caught." They stopped him front of Castiel's door. "And to that point I've arranged for two guards to be posted outside of your door, they should arrive shortly."

Sam was about to remove the goat bile from bag when the door began to open. Sam quickly scooped up the bag as Dean grabbed the ingredients Sam had already got out, and the rush to the other side of the room, and, as there were no better options, pressing themselves against the wall, where they couldn't be seen unless someone actually entered the room. If that actually happened, well, they would just have to fight their way out.

The person who opened the door walked into the room just enough so they still hidden by said door. "Just stay here until I come for you, alright?" Medieval teenage Dean's voice said.

Adult Dean and Sam exchanged alarmed looks. Holy crap, had they actually hidden in the room of the people they were trying to hide from?!

"Alright," Medieval teenage Castiel's voice replied.

Again the brothers exchanged alarmed surprised looks. Both of them?!

"I love you," The younger Dean behind the door said.

Sam could tell the his Dean was about to say something, so he quickly covered his brother's mouth to silence him and gave him a warning look.

Just then Castiel walked into the room , shutting the door, then sighed.

Then next few seconds seem to move in slow motion, at least for the Winchesters. Castiel slowly turned around, but froze when he saw them.


	9. I Think A Smile Says It All

Castiel opened his mouth to call for help, but Sam was quickly upon him covering his mouth. The boy then started to kick and flap his wings nearly breaking free of Sam's hold, before Dean grabbed a hold of the appendages, a bit two roughly as it caused a gasp of pan from the young angel.

"Cas, calm down," Sam said in his best soothing voice, "We don't want to hurt you."

Cas apparently didn't believe him, as he kept struggling against them, managing to get in a good kick in Sam's groin.

Sam stifled a moan of agony and inhaled deeply. "Look," Sam whispered, getting his bearings back, "I understand you're freaked out, but trust me, we don't want to be here as much as you don't want us here, and we can explain everything but first you have to _settle down._ "

Castiel went completely still and quitted down.

"Thank you," Sam said, "Now, I'm gonna remove my hand from your mouth, but only if you promise to be quiet. Can you do that for me?"

Cas nodded.

"Good," Sam said, then slowly removed his hand from Castiel's mouth then released his grip on the boy.

Castiel turned himself to face his captors, weighing his options. There were two of them and one of him, and he had no clue if they were armed or not, so fighting them off himself wasn't the best approach. He could try calling out to the guards, they were probably there by now, but he did that and he was wrong, he was good as dead. Perhaps, he decided , he should hear them out and then work from there.

"Alright," Castiel said with all the dignity and bravado he could mustard, "I think a good place to start would be who you are."

"So do I," Sam said, " I'm Sam, and this is my brother Dean. Sam and Dean Winchester."

Cas' eyes widened in disbelief, and his wings went into protective stance. "You're lying." He said, "I know both Dean and Sam Winchester and you are certainly not them."

"That's where it gets complicated," Sam said.

Sam went onto explain the concept of parallel universes, and how they were from one of them and about the witch and spell.

The young angle sat down on the edge of the bed, his eyes glazed over.

Dean waved his hand in front of Castiel's face. "Damn," He said, "I think we broke this universe's Cas."

"Well, people have told us we broke our universe's Cas too, so-" Sam begin, then realized that talk like that wasn't helping _this_ Castiel so he turned his attention back to the aforementioned angel and said, "Look, Cas, can I call you Cas?"

The teenager nodded slowly.

"Okay," Sam said, glad they were getting somewhere, "I know how crazy this all sounds, but we're telling you the truth. We just need a few minutes to put the spell together then we'll be gone and you and your Dean can get back on with your lives. Deal?"

Cas nodded.

"Okay," Sam said, "Good. Let's get back to it."

They Winchesters had only manage to put a few ingredients in the bowl when Dean could no longer hold his questions in. "I'm sorry," He said, tossing some dried flowers into the mix and turning to look at Cas, "I just gotta know, how did you and other universe me wind up-'' Dean stuck his tongue out looking like he was about to cough up a hairball, then said, "Oh, God I can't even say it. Okay, I think I can manage it, how did you two end up engaged?"

Castiel looked almost startled for a moment, then said, "His father and my brother arranged it when we were ten."

Dean gawked at him with a look of disbelief. "What?" He exclaimed, trying to wrap his head around what he was hearing, "What does it mean they _arranged_ it?!"

"Actually, arrange marriages were pretty normal during this time period," Sam replied, pouring in the bile, "Especially between royal families to forge political allegiances."

"Yeah, but,-" Dean's voice trailed off for a minute, as turned to Sam, then said, "Really?" Then he turned back to Cas and said, "And you? You're really okay with marrying just because your brother told you to? I mean, how well do you even know him? For all you know he could be some sort of serial killer!"

Cas got that patented look of confusion on his face that was apparently the same no matter what universe they were in.

"Yeah, Dean, I don't really think that term's been invented yet," Sam said, "You're just going to confuse him again."

"I've live with Dean for eight years. I know as better than my own family." Cas said defensively, "And I love him. "

That one really threw Dean. "What?"

Sam suppressed a snicker only for a snort to come out.

Dean turned to face his brother.

"Dean come one, you had to see this coming," He said, "Strangers don't kiss like that."

Castiel's cheeks turned bright pink and he seemed to shrink in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," Dean said, genuinely remorseful for causing the teen anymore discomfort than nessacary, "It's our Cas-the Castiel in our universe, we aren't-ah-"

"Like us," Cas guessed, "You're just friends."

"Yeah," Dean confirmed, "Just friends."

For the first time since Sam had let him go, Cas smiled. "We were just friends once, too," He replied, "Close friends, if you saw one of us the other was either right by their side or nearby. But then, slowly...things changed." He couldn't help but think back to the first time Dean had kissed him, really kissed him, because it also happened to be the moment he realized he was in love with Dean.

 **The Kingdom of Lawrence, 1408**

 _Castiel was sitting on the side of the fountain in the center of the garden where water spouted from the mouths of marble singers. The garden was favorite place in whole castle, so him being there wasn't so unusual. What was unusual was he was alone._

 _The war was over. After four long years, it was over. They had won. The combined forces of Dangaus and Lawrence had whipped Perdition off the map. Crowley was dead and the remaining demons were scattered to the four winds. Of course, there were still some things to deal with. Negotiating the surrender of what was left of Perdition's army, and helping refugees that had been displaces by the war. Dean was in a meeting about that at the moment._

 _At least that was where Cas though he was._

 _There was a rustling from behind him. Cas whirled around, but saw no one. "Who's there?!" He demanded._

 _Suddenly there was familiar laugher from behind a chestnut tree._

 _"Dean," He said in mock annoyance._

 _Dean step out from behind the tree, smirking._

 _"What exactly are you doing?" Cas asked keeping up the façade of being upset._

 _"Oh, don't pretend you're not happy to see me." Dean said._

 _Castiel finally let the facade drop, breaking into a small smile. "Alright, it's good to see you," He admitted, "But what are you doing here? I thought you still working on plans to deal with the refugees?"_

 _"And I thought you were doing your lessons with Sam," Dean countered playfully._

 _"I finished them," Cas replied, "And besides, it's too nice out to spend the whole day cooped up inside."_

 _"Ah, that is where I agree with you," Dean agreed, walking up to Castiel, "Which is why since the meeting just finished I decided to come out here and see what there was to see."_

 _"Sure you did," Cas replied rolling his eyes, as he had the feeling he was 'what there was to see.' "Well as long as you're here," He continued, "You want to walk we with me?"_

 _Dean offered his arm for Cas to take in response._

 _Castiel smiled indulgently and wrapped his arm around Dean's ._

 _The pair had been walking together for several minutes, talking._

 _"So how'd you ditch my brother anyway?" Dean asked._

 _"Sam found a book on wolf populations on the eastern borders," Cas explained, "Or something like that. Whatever it was it was so engrossing that he barely heard me tell him I was leaving."_

 _"Wolf populations?" Dean questioned, "Really?"_

 _"Like I said, I'm not sure," Castiel said, "Anyway, I'm sure he'll catch up to us when he wants to."_

 _Dean hopped that wouldn't be for a while. As they walked by the one of the rose bushes, the white ones with the most fragrant blooms in the entire garden, he reached out and plucked one from the safety of its home. He then handed to Cas._

 _The young angel took the flower, looking down at it quizzically. "What's this for?"_

 _"Why do I need a reason?" Dean responded, "Maybe I just thought the two prettiest things in the garden should get to know each other."_

 _Cas blushed, but smiled. He thought that was nice of Dean to say._

 _" You think I don't mean it, do you?" Dean replied, as if reading Castiel's thoughts, "You think I'm just turning on the Winchester charm. But I mean it, I do, every word. You, Castiel Angelus, are the most beautiful person inside and out that I have ever met."_

 _"Did you get into the ale again?" Cas asked. That had to be it, he thought. Dean had to be drunk, but other than the rambling...he seemed sober._

 _"No," Dean said, "I've just had some time to think lately, and I...started thinking about us."_

 _"About us how?" Castiel said, not sure where this was going, or why his heart had started beating so rapidly._

 _Dean sighed. He had no clue what he was doing, and Cas wasn't helping matters. "Cas," Dean began, deciding to just come out with it, "Can I kiss you?"_

 _"What?" Castiel responded, taken aback._

 _"Can -I-kiss-you?" Dean said slowly, placing out his words carefully._

 _"Of course you can," Cas said, slightly confused because, "Haven't you before?"_

 _"I don't mean on the cheek," Dean elaborated, "I mean a real kiss, on the lips."_

 _Cas froze in place, causing Dean to nearly fall over. However, he quickly regained his footing and turned his attention to Castiel, who was still frozen in his place. "Cas," Dean said, letting of the angel's arm and moving to look him in the face, concerned, "You okay?"_

 _"Yes," Cas answered, coming back to himself, "You just shocked me for a second. " Trying to keep what was left of his dignity at that point he said, "I suppose we could try it, if you really want."_

 _Dean took Castiel's hand and leaned before leaning in and gently kissing the other boy. Then he pulled away, still focused on his fiancé. The fiancé that more and more, he looked forward to the day they would marry. "So-how was that?" He asked._

 _All Cas did in response was smile. But that smile said it all._

 **The Kingdom of Lawrence, 1413**

"Okay," Sam said, pouring the lamb's blood in, "That's the last it. Now we just have to do the spell."

"Wait!" Castiel said snapping out of his reminiscence, "What am I suppose to tell everyone? About you, I mean?"

Dean and Sam exchanged looks before Sam said, "Nothing. After they look for us long enough they'll probably come to the conclusion we've gone. When they never hear from us again it'll just be some unexplained thing that happened one time."

"Do you really think it will be that simple?" Cas countered, "You appeared out of nowhere with unknown intentions, in a heavily armed fortress where the royal family resides a few days before visiting royals from another kingdom are suppose to arrive? They're not just gonna let that go."

All was quiet for a moment then Dean asked, "What visiting royals?"

"Really?" Sam interjected before Cas could answer, "That's the headline for you?"

"Oh, like you're not curious," Dean said.

"Remember how I said our marriage was arranged when Dean and I were ten?" Cas managed to get in.

The Winchesters nodded.

"Well, the agreement was we'd actually get married after we both turned eighteen," Cas explained, "I just turned eighteen last month and Dean turned eighteen a few months ago. My brother, Michael is coming for the wedding."

"Oh," Sam and Dean said at the same time then Dean went on the add, "Well, I'm sure this incident will not impede your nupuals that much, so, Mazel Tov, Sam would you please do the spell?"

"Gladly," Sam said before beginning, "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

Wind started blowing out of nowhere, blowing the curtains and area of the tapestry that wasn't nailed down. Once again the Winchesters were surrounded in bluish white light. This part was starting get old.

As the wind died down, Castiel found all he could do was stare at the spot where the strangers had been only a few seconds before. Perhaps they weren't insane after all.

The door burst open and two guards charged into the room, alerted by the ruckus.

"Excuse me!" Castiel exclaimed in his best indignant voice.

"Sorry, Sire,' One of them said, looking around the room, confused, "But we thought we heard...someone else in here."

"Clearly there isn't," Castiel said, "It's alright, you were only doing your job, but you can leave now."

The guards embarrassed and still a bit confused went back to their post.

Castiel collapsed back on the bed. He had the feeling it was going to be a long night.

 **The Kingdom of Lawrence, a week later**

As it turned out, after the intruders, the Sam and Dean from some other plan of existence or whatever they were, seemingly disappeared into the either, not a lot of fuss was made over it, save some head-scathing. Which is why Casitel surrounded by half a dozen handmaidens, being prepared for the wedding ceremony, trying to pretend he wasn't overcome with nerves.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," He called out.

The door opened and his future mother-in-law stepped in.

"Queen Mary," Cas said, surprised and delighted, "What a surprise."

"Just wanted to check to see how you were doing." Mary explained, "And I was hopping maybe to talk to you alone for a few minutes."

"Of course," Castiel said, then turning his attention to his attendants commanded, "Leave us, please."

The attendants left in small pact. The last one shut the door behind her, leaving the two alone.

Mary broke into a smile. "Look at you," She said, "You look so gorgeous." Then something caught her eye, "What's that on your wings?"

Cas turned to look at them and realized she was talking about the gold chain woven through his feathers. "It's decoration," He explained, "It's mainly pulled out at weddings or coronations."

"It's lovely, but," Mary began, "Won't it kind of get in the way if you have to fly?"

"Yes, " Castiel confirmed, "But hopefully I won't have to today."

"That's what I wanted to talk you about," Mary said, "Or rather tonight."

Castiel swallowed. He was anxious enough with thoughts of binding himself to Dean forever. The last thing wanted to think about consummating the union, much less talk about it.

"Don't worry, I know that this is awkward so I'll be brief," Mary assured him, stepping closer, "The things is, if you lose your nerve, there are ways of," She pulled a vile out from the blue silk purse in her hands, handing it to Castiel.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Sheep's blood," Mary explained, "I figure it's better than one of you having to cut their arm. Just pour it on the sheets in case anyone asks to see them."

Cas took the vile. "Thank you," He said, "Is this..."

"What me and John did on our wedding night?" Mary finished for him.

Castiel nodded.

"Not exactly," Mary said, "We were both nervous, so John cut his arm with dagger and we just-talked."

Cas smiled a little as a picture formed in his mind of a much younger John and Mary on a bed, talking the night away. He liked the idea of doing that with Dean.

Mary turned her head, as if she expected to see someone behind her. "I need to go before I'm missed," She said, "Good luck."

"Thank you," Cas said again.

Mary opened the door, to find Michael on the other side about to knock.

"Oh," He said, surprised, "Queen Mary. I didn't expect to see you in here."

"I was just leaving," Mary said, slipping out of the room, "See you out there."

"Yes," Michael replied, "Quite." Once Mary was gone he turned his attention to Castiel. "Look at you," He said, proudly, "You've grown so much."

Castiel cast his eyes down shyly but smiled at the comment.

"Well," Michael said offering his arm to his youngest brother, "Are you ready?"

"I think so," Castiel said, thought he wasn't quite sure, taking Michael's arm.

The witnesses stood as the doors opened and Castiel entered the room, in lock-step with Michael. Down at the other end of the hall, waiting at the other end if the hall, waiting with the Bishop and Sam at his side, was Dean, dressed in full-armor, looking as handsome as he ever had.

Suddenly Castiel wasn't nervous anymore. In fact, he was excited, elated, resisting the urge to run down the aisle. A few more minutes and he would be Deans, and Dean would be his.

But then, wasn't he already?

The two-person procession stop in front of the Bishop and Cas let go his brother's arm and turned to face Dean.

"You look lovely," Dean whispered, taking Cas' hands.

"And you as well, my love," Castiel replied.

Sam rolled his eyes to which Dean subtlety elbowed them in response.

"Today, is a great day," Bishop Murphy, an older man with light-colored hair and stubble on his jaw, began, "A day that will join our two great lands forevermore..."

Neither Dean or Castiel heard much of the speech after that, they were too focused on each other. At least until Bishop Murphy ask, "Do you, Dean Winchester, promise to love, honor, and respect, Castiel Garrison, as you husband, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Dean said, grinning from ear to ear.

"And do you, Castiel Angelus, do the same?" The Bishop asked.

"I do," Castiel said, his eyes shining.

"Then," Bishop Murphy said, "Hold out your left arms please."

The young couple did as they were told and the Bishop wrapped a white ribbon around the arms, saying, "With this woman I bind you two in matramonity forevermore. You may now kiss your husband."

Dean leaned and kissed Castiel deeply, much more deeply then that day in the garden. When they finally came up for air to the applauds of the audience Dean looked at Cas, wanting to ask if he liked it, if we was happy, but he didn't have to. The smile on his face said it all.


	10. The Escape

This time when the light faded and their vision cleared, Sam and Dean found themselves sitting on a while tile floor, under the bright lights of a hospital waiting room, all eyes one them.

Well, all except one set.

That set belong to a dark-haired man in a brown police uniform gripping a Dean much closer to the age of the Dean on the floor by the throat. Then, suddenly, a whirl of white and blue and yellow hit Dean's captor in the head, sending something flying out of his hand. Suddenly the man let go of Dean looking confused. "What the-" He said, feeling the inside of his ear, revealing black goo.

"Dude, I remember this," The Dean on the floor whispered into Sam's ear, "This is that specter case, you know the one in Missouri when I tried to kill you?"

"Yeah, I remember," Sam whispered back, "It's not exactly something you forget."

"Well, apparently here this part of the story has a different ending," Dean said.

The blur stilled revealing itself to be a girl in her mid teens with blonde hair framing an circular face, flowing down her shoulder. She was breathing heavily, her chest moving beneath her white and yellow blouse. She looked somewhat familiar to both the brothers, but they couldn't figure out from where.

The girl turned in their direct and caught sign of them, just as that universe's Dean ran up to her. He grabbed her and wrapped her in his arms, keeping her tight against his chest. "You okay, Em?" Dean whispered gently to the young woman.

"Yeah, I'm fine," The girl said, trying to push Dean away, "But I don't think he's our only problem." She pointed at the Sam and Dean on the ground.

Dean's eyes widened when he saw the two men currently untangling themselves and trying to stand up. "What the Hell?!"

That universe's Dean and the young girl ushered the pair outside, at gun point. "Okay," That universe's Dean said pinning them against the wall, "You got 60 seconds to tell me what the Hell is going on."

"We're you," Dean said, "From a alternate universe. We were going after this witch, and she did a spell, and we've been using the same spell falling from universe to universe trying to get back to ours but there's no way to specify what which universe we go to."

The other Dean just stared at them for a minute, mulling it over.

"I believe them," The girl spoke up.

That universe's Dean turned to look at the girl. "Really?" You're taking their side?"

"It's not that I'm taking their side, it's just-come on, like it's the weirdest thing we've ever encountered, that _you've_ ever encountered?" The girl challenged.

"All right," Dean said, lowering the gun, "You have a point." Then he addressed his other universal counterpart and his brother, saying, "Okay, here's what we're gonna do. I'm gonna call Sam-my Sam, and he and Garth will meet us all back at the motel and we'll get this all sorted out."

As they made their way back to the Impala Dean spoke up, "Can I ask a question?"

"Okay," That universe's Dean said, as he helped the girl into the front seat of the car.

"Who's the girl?" Dean asked, gesturing to young lady now riding shot gun.

That universe's Dean looked at the girl then at the two men. "This is Emma," He said gesturing at the girl, "She's a-she'd actually my daughter."

Both Sam and Dean's heart sank as they realized why she looked so familiar. Emma. The girl Dean had fathered with an Amazon. And one of the most unsavory ethical dilemmas they ever had to deal with.

"You see," Dean began, "There was this case in Settle, something was-"

"Killing men," Sam cut in, "And craving a spider into their chest."

"Yeah," That universes' Dean said, "And then I went to this bar and met..."

"A woman named Lydia," Dean interrupted, his voice hollow, "And you didn't know but she was an Amazon, and you knocked her up..."

This time it was Emma who spoke up. "How do you know all this already?"

"Because this thing happened to us, too," Dean explained, his heart sinking deeper in his chest, swallowing before he said, "And it had a very different outcome."


	11. Picking Up The Pieces

What do you mean, it had a very different outcome?" Emma asked, confused.

"Yeah, what does that mean?" That universe's Dean said, but from the tone of his voice, it looked like he already had an idea what it meant.

"She...she was gonna kill him," Sam said, briefly gesturing to his Dean to signify who he was talking about, "She had a knife, some sort of dagger, and her eyes...they weren't human. I had to do it."

"Do what?" Emma asked, though a picture was forming in her mind now of what he meant.

"I had to kill you," Sam said at last, barely able to get it out.

Even thought she had been expecting it, Emma looked shocked, hurt even, as if Sam had tried to kill her as well. Her father, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to reach into the backseat and strangle him.

"What the Hell man?!" He shouted, "Killing your own niece?!"

"She was gonna kill me!" Dean interjected before things could go any further, "She was kill me, alright? Apparently as part of their-initiation or whatever, they have to kill their fathers, so she shows up at with this sob story about wanting out, I don't really believe it so I make an excuse to get a gun, and when I turn around she's got a freakin' danger in her hand. I actually tried to talk her down, and was getting nowhere by the way, when Sam busted in and shoots her in the heart before she could kill me. Any more questions?"

"Actually, yes," The other universe's Dean said, still enraged, "You were totally okay with this? Letting your own daughter die?!"

"Actually, Dad," Emma spoke up, suddenly nervous, "I think you're being a little harsh on them. I mean...I never told you this, but..."

Dean rolled his eyes to the roof. "I know you brought the dagger they're talking about that night, Emma. Sam found it in the bushes before we left."

"Okay, now I'm confused," Sam spoke up, "So you did come there to kill him that night?"

Emma nodded.

"But then you didn't, and they didn't do anything we when they found out you had originally planned on it?" Sam asked.

"Apparently," Emma said, nodding.

"Well, then..."Sam huffed, "What the Hell happened in-between?"

"I changed my mind," Was Emma's response.

 **Seattle Washington, 2012**

 _Dean was_ _staring_ _out_ _the_ window. _He couldn't believe this was happening. This young woman was a monster, trained from a young age to kill, and that young age was only a few days ago. But she was also his daughter. And maybe that was why, while most of him didn't, a part of him wanted to believe her. Damn parental instincts._

 _He walked over to her. "You look exhausted."_

 _"And starving." Emma replied, "It's been a tough sweet 16. So you believe me?"_

 _Dean crossed his arms and nodded, though honestly, he wasn't completely sure in the slightest, but if he played along, he'd find the truth._

 _"You'll help me?" Emma pleaded._

 _"If you really want help," Dean said, stone-faced._

 _"I do," Emma said._

 _Dean continued to stare her down. "Well, now, what happens when they find you're missing_?"

 _"They_ _may_ _have already found out," Emma said, "And they'll hunt me down."_

 _Dean nodded again, then walked over to the fridge._

 _"Look," Emma continued, clutching the dagger inside her jacket sleeve, "I know this is gonna be hard, but if I I'm gonna get out, I have to do it now."_

 _Dean opened the fridge. "We got cheese and a leftover burrito."_

 _Emma stood up, saying, "Doesn't make a difference." She was about to ready her dagger, when for some reason...she stopped. She didn't know why but she did._

 _That was just enough time for Dean to turn around with a gun in one hand and a rather surprised look on his face._

 _Emma looked equally surprised. She wasn't expecting him not to fall for it. She also didn't expect herself to hesitate. Now there was a gun trained on her. So she decided the best thing to do was to keep up the act for now. "So much for you believing me," She said, sounding equal parts scared and hurt, even managing to well up some tears in her eyes._

 _Dean lowered his gun slightly. "I know how this looks," Dean said, seeing as it was looking more like she was on the level, "We knew someone coming to kill me. I was expecting your mother, but you showed up, I figured the same thing was happening. I'd figured you'd try to catch me up...catch me off guard."_

 _"So that's what you really think of me?" Emma wined, the tears starting to fall down her face._

 _Dean felt a tug in his chest. This girl was starting to get to him. He pulled a gun on her and she was crying. This was not how this usually worked. "Look," Dean said, "I'm sorry. I should've...I dunno, waited a little longer, at least until you tried something. Just...please stop crying."_

 _Emma wiped her eyes , but fresh tears poured down. Man, even she didn't know she was this good. But, then again, she didn't know a lot about herself, she had been telling the truth about that._

 _Dean was at a complete lost for what to do. This was unbelievably uncomfortable, but more than that, he found he wanted to ease her pain. "Okay," Dean said in steady voice, "What I'm gonna do is put the gun down," He slowly lowered the gun, sitting it on the fridge, "And we're just...start over. How 'bout that, hun? Would you like that?"_

 _Emma nodded, a final small sob leaving her lips._

 _Dean walked over and awkwardly, but gently, wrapped his arms around her. "It's alright," Dean said," It's all gonna be alright."_

 _Just then the door slowly opened and Sam appeared looking rather confused at the scene before him. "Ah, Dean," He said, alerting the pair to his presence, "What's going on?"_

 _Dean and Emma pulled away from each other, each turning to look at the newcomer. "Sam!" Dean said hastily, "This is uh-Emma. She's ah-she's my daughter I guess."_

 _Sam looked at the both of them like the just grew another head. "Your daughter?"_

 _"Yeah, you know- the one Lydia had," Dean elaborated._

 _Sam's eyes turned into saucers in alarm._

 _Dean took no heed, turning back to the young Amazon, "Emma this is my Sam, my brother-," suddenly it occurred to him that, "Well, I guess that makes him your uncle."_

 _Emma smiled a little. "Nice to meet you."_

 _"Yeah," Sam in tensely, "You, too. Ah, Dean, can I talk to you outside for a second?"_

 _"Yeah, sure," Dean said stepping out the door with his brother._

 _Sam shut the door then stared at Dean for a second before exclaiming, "What the Hell?!"_

 _"I don't know," Dean replied quickly, "She just shows up at the door and I didn't know what to think but-I did prepare for the worst. I got a gun but she was just standing there_ not _trying to attack me and then-"_

 _"And then what?" Sam asked._

 _"And then she started crying!" Dean exclaimed._

 _Sam gave him the two head look again. "Seriously?"_

 _"Seriously!" Dean responded, "I didn't know what to do, I just wanted her to stop, and yeah, I did feel kind of bad, so I started trying to call her down and next thing I know, I'm hugging her, and that was about when you showed up."_

 _"Yeah, I got that," Sam said, slightly deadpanned, "So what, now you think she's telling the truth just because she cried?"_

 _"I don't know Sam!" Dean shouted, then calmed down again, "Look, clearly we need a new plan."_

 _"Gee, you think?" Sam quipped._

 _If looks could kill the one Dean shot Sam would've struck him dead instantly._

 _"Sorry," Sam said, " She probably knows something's up by now so let's just-get back in there and try to figure this out before anyone else gets killed."_

 _"Okay." Dean said, turning back to enter room._

 _Emma, who had moved to the window, turned around when she heard them entering. "So?" She asked, "Have you figured what you're gonna do yet?"_

 _"Honestly," Sam said, "No. Look, it's not like we're jumping at the opportunity to kill a teenage girl, the opposite's true, actually, but-we have no reason to trust you."_

 _Emma swallow. While they were out she had thrown the dagger out the window. She knew they might search her and she had no clue what would happen if they found it. Suddenly she got an idea."What if I gave you a reason to?"_

 _Both men perked up in curiosity. "We're listening." Dean said._

 _"I know where they're at," Emma said, "The other Amazons. Or at least the ones where they keeping us."_

 _Their eyes lit up._

 _"Yeah," Sam said, "That would definitely be a step in the right direction."_

 _Emma directed them to a nondescript building on the other side of town. "It's here." Emma said, visibly nervous. She had no idea what she was doing any more. Her plan was to let the others take care of Sam while he finished off Dean, and hoped no one figured out her blunder but now...she wasn't sure if she wanted to kill him anymore. Maybe she had meant what she said back there after all._

 _As the guys got out of the car Emma made to get out of the back, when Dean stuck his upper half back in and said, "No. Stay here until we get back."_

 _"But I'm the only who knows the building," Emma protested._

 _"Which is why we had you draw that map," Dean replied, "You said it yourself, you weren't even alive five days ago, and we're not going to take a child into a house of trained killers."_

 _"Even if that child was trained by them?!" Emma shot back._

 _"Especially if that child was trained by them," Dean replied, before pulling back out and shutting the door. Then locking all the doors._

 _The brothers walked up to the front doors and kicked them opened only to be greeted by two woman armed with large daggers, ready to attack. Fortunately so were they, and shot them both right in the heart._

 _They made their way down the hall, alert, ready for any attack. They heard the sound of little feet rushing in one of the chambers. They ran towards the sound as fast as they could._

 _They found they gaggle of young girls being lead ushered out by a woman with apricot- colored hair. Within second their view was blocked by a row of five women all armed with daggers. They could even get a shot off before they each on the grown, guns thrown halfway across the room, daggers to their throats._

 _Sam made to grab for the knife, but another woman grabbed his arm. One of her comrades did the same when Dean tired a similar move. In an almost synchronized motion, they raised their daggers for the kill then suddenly there was the loud, familiar bang of a gun, and the one over Dean fell on top of him, dead. Everyone back away, looking at something neither of the brothers could see from their spot on the ground, inadvertently feeing Sam, who shot up quickly, and turned in the direction the Amazons were looking and realized what was so shocking._

 _Emma was standing there holding the literal smoking gun._

 _Dean threw the body off himself and saw this as well. "How the Hell did you get out of the car?!"_

 _"You might have a broken window," Emma replied._

 _It was then Dean noticed several cuts and scrapes all over her, little bits of broken glass in some of them._

 _"And the gun?" Dean asked._

 _"Your trunk might or might not also have sustained some damage," Emma answered reluctantly._

 _"That better be more on the might not end of the spectrum," Dean growled._

 _"You little traitor," The one who was going to stab Dean seethed, her stony grey eye filled with rage, the skin around them turning red._

 _Suddenly a shot rang out hitting the Amazon in then back, then another into her heart._

 _Sam had got his gun back._

 _Dean picked up the dagger the woman dropped when she fell._

 _What happened next was a chaos of blades slashing and hitting each other and guns going off until finally there were two humans and two Amazons and one of them Emma._

 _"You chose these two over us?!" One of the two remaining ones, an usually tall woman with short white-blond hair screamed, "Your people?! Your family?!"_

 _Emma's heart sunk as what she was really doing sunk him. She was throwing her whole life away-albeit a very short life-for two people she didn't even know. People who still might kill her, or at the very least would never fully understand her. Suddenly she felt she had made a big mistake._

 _Before Emma had time to react the woman was charging her, knife raised when suddenly a gun went off, pricing through the Amazon's front and she fell where she stood, revealing Dean behind her, his reclaimed gun smoking.  
Suddenly Emma knew she made the right decision._

 **Kearney Missouri**

 **2012**

"So," Emma said, "Does that explain everything?" Emma asked.

"Yeah," Dean said, "It actually does."

That being cleared up, she turned to that universe's Dean. "Why didn't you say anything about the knife?"

"We thought about it," Dean said, "Sam wanted to, at first but-after everything that happened, it was pretty clear you one our side, and..."

"And what?" Emma asked.

"You were the first good thing to happen to either of us in...well, a while," Dean finally finished, "I didn't really want to examine it too closely."

Before anyone else could say anything there was a knocking on the Impala's window. "Dean?!" Sam's voice called out, accompanied with more tapping on the class, "Emma?"

They all turned toward the noise, and sure enough, it was that universe's Sam, accompanied by what could only be the universe's Garth. "What the Hell is going on in there?!" Sam continued, "And what the Hell are they?!"

"Us from another universe," Dean said, getting out of the car.

And with that everyone exchanged information. After Sam and Dean did their whole speech again, Garth and that universe's Sam explained how they had found out about the coin and when neither Dean or Emma answered their phones, rushed over to warn them.

"So, did you get the coin?" That universe's Sam asked.

"No," That universe's Dean said, "I didn't even know about the coin and I was distracted by these two." He gestured to Sam and Dean.

With that realization, everyone ran back into the hospital.

"Where is it?!" That universe's Sam exclaimed, "Did anyone see where if fell?!"

"No, I was too focused on the guy who had me against the desk!" That universe's Dean snapped.

Just then, Emma spotted the penny by the unconscious man's body. Before she could think about it, she picked it up and instantly and uncontrollable rage rushed through her. They had killed her. They had killed her and just moved one with their lives, like she was nothing. It didn't even matter that they weren't her Dad and Uncle Sam, she still was furious, so furious...her hands gripped around the gun in her jacket.

"Emma?" Sam asked, approaching her from behind, "You okay?"

"Like you care," She said, turning around and pointing the gun right at Sam.


	12. Talking Emma Down

The room went completely still, except for one person who whispered, "Oh, no, not again."

"You killed me," Emma said, contempt filling her voice, "Did even feel bad after? Did you even wonder what could've happened if you hadn't?"

"Dean, what is she talking about?" That universe's Sam, who was not the one with the gun trained on him, asked.

"Apparently their Emma was evil and actually tried to kill their Dean," That universe's Dean explained in tense voice, his entire body seemingly frozen in place, "So that Sam killed said Emma."

"Oh," The universe's Sam replied, his heart dropping into his stomach. Of course the penny wound up in the hand of the one person who just found something Vance could exploit.

"Look, Emma," The Sam with the gun trained on him began, trying to reason with her, "That girl, the one I killed, she wasn't you. If there's one thing I learned from the three universes we've been to, is that just because someone may have the same name, and the same face, doesn't mean they're the same. Once change in circumstance, one choice, can change everything."

While Sam tried to talk Emma down, Dean whispered to the others, "Alright, we went through something like this before in our universe. I have an idea, just, follow my lead."

"That Emma, _our_ Emma she made her choice, and I made mine," Sam continued, "But you don't have to make the some choice. All you're feeling right now, that's just the coin..."

"No, it's not!" Emma shouted, "This is me! And if you knew half of what I've done for you...I think you'd understand what I'm about to do!"

Before Emma could find her, one Dean grabbed her from behind, while the another pulled the gun from her hand.

"No, no, let go of me! Let me kill him!" Emma shouted, kicking and struggling to get out of Dean's hold, "Let me-"

"Garth, get the coin," Dean instructed.

"Wait, won't just that just-" That universe's Sam began.

"Trust us, it'll work," Sam assured them.

Garth grabbed the hand holding the coin and ripped it away from the girl who went still in Dean's arms, looking confused. "I'm..." Emma began, her voice slightly trembling, "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright," Sam said, "I know you really weren't that angry. The coin took what we just threw at you and turned it into a murderous rage."

"Dad, you can let go now," Emma said.

"I'm not your Dad," Dean said, letting her go, then pointing to the other Dean, "That one is."

After that they high-tailed it out of there before the authorities showed up and started asking questions, and went back to motel so Sam and Dean could get to work on the spell.

"Hey, a, I have a question," Emma spoke up as the three hunters and the Amazon watched the pair work, "How come the coin didn't work on Garth?"

"He just doesn't hold grudges," Dean explained, dropping the backbone into the bowel.

The three Winchesters of that universe simultaneously turned to look at Garth.

"It's true," The quirky hunter replied.

"As long as we're asking questions," Sam spoke up, "What did you mean when you were talking everything you had done this universe's Sam?"

This time it was the universe's Sam who spoke up in answer. "After Dean disappeared I was in a pretty bad place," He explained, "Emma pulled me out, kept me from going off the deep end, and then looking after her, it just...kept me sane. Without her...I don't know what would've happened."

"I didn't know what would happen if I didn't have you either," Emma spoke up.

"Aww," Dean interjected sarcastically, "I'm getting a toothache over here. Spell please, Sam?"

Sam open the book and began to read, " Skicka dessa...


	13. The Road

This time the brothers found themselves in tangle of arms and legs in the middle of a two-line highway, which thankfully was clear of all cars.

"Man," Dean said, as he got up, "We really need to work on out landings."

"At least I don't see us anywhere this time," Sam said, pulling bowl and other ingredients from the duffle bag.

Then as if on cue, a young woman came charging out of the woods. She might have looked like anyone ordinary young woman, thin with short pale wavy hair, but there was two distinguishing features: The reddish eyes and feral look of someone suffering from the Croatoan virus.

since neither of them were armed, Sam and Dean picked up the stuff they had out, and make to run for it, when a man armed with a gun came out of the woods, and shot her though the back of her head. As her body fell to the ground, the Winchesters were able to get a good look at him. He looked to be in his mid to late twenties, standing at about six feet with short-clipped light brown hair. He was wearing ripped up blue jeans and boots, his shirt covered with a blue jacket.

This man was young Dean Winchester.


	14. Incident On And Off A Mountain Road

They stood there long enough for the younger Dean to notice them. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he gazed upon his doppelganger.

"Easy there," The older Dean said, as he and Sam backed away slowly, "I know this looks weird..."

"Ya think?" The younger Dean retorted, "Do you realize we look almost exactly alike? You, stretch, you see it , too right?"

It took Sam a minute realize the other Dean was referring to him. "Yeah," Sam said, "Yeah I see it. It's weird, man."

"What are you two doing out here in the middle of nowhere anyways?" The younger Dean asked.

Sam and Dean exchanged looks as they wondered whether or not to explain what was going on. The last time they had to explain it from someone in the more way out there universe's it hadn't gone well, and while Dean was still apparently a hunter and there were still apparently things like the Croatoan virus, something was still off. For one thing, at that time of day the street should have been bumper to bumper with traffic, yet, the road was empty, scratch that, _deserted_ would be a more app word. It was starting to become cracked and over-grown, and looked as if it had been abandoned for years. And...stretch? Since when did Dean call Sam stretch? More than that it was like he didn't recognize Sam _at all_.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Sam retorted.

"There's been a pack of Croates terrorizing a compound not too far from here," The younger Dean explained, "Well," He threw his riffle over his shoulder like a baseball bat, smirking, "At least there _was_."

"Awesome," The older Dean said, "That's a-that's actually what we were here for, but, since you clearly have a handle on it, we will be leaving."

The two started backing up but then the younger Dean said, "Hold on a minute. There's still the issue of-" He used riffle to point to Dean, then back to himself, "Come one man you can't help but be a least a little curious about this."

"Yeah, man," Dean replied, deciding to go with that whole we-look-freakishly-alike thing, than the truth, "Say, you're dad wouldn't have happened to ever meet a woman named Christine?" It was the first name that popped into his head.

"Really?" Sam whispered in into his brother's ear, a little agitated, "Half-brother? _That's_ what you're going with?"

"I don't think so," The younger Dean said in a response to Dean's question, "But then, I didn't keep his social calendar. I met a Christine in this bar in Skyport once." He grinned and got this almost nostalgic look on his face, "Good times," nostalgia turned to stricken look on his face, then he said, "Oh, God, sorry, I didn't think-"

"No, it's okay," Dean quickly reassured him, "My mom's never even been to...Skyport. But I don't have any other explanations for whatever's going on here, so I think it's best we parted ways."

"Yeah," The younger Dean agreed, "My a...my partner's waiting for me back at the clearing anyway." And with that he waved goodbye and disappeared back into the thick woods.

"Okay," Sam said, "I think we need to get off this road in case there are anymore...surprises."

"Agreed," Dean replied, fallowing his brother into the woods.

"What I really want to know is," Dean said, as they walked through the woods, looking for a good place to stop, "Is why he wasn't freaked about seeing you."

"Maybe I don't exist in this universe," Sam said, "Or I died, or something."

"Well, if you died, he should've been even more freaked," Dean reasoned, "If I guy who looks exactly like you shows up _with_ a dude who looks exactly like your dead brother, that is a good reason to panic."

"Well, he was younger than you, so presumably I was, too," Sam responded, "And this doesn't exactly look like the first-world country we're use to, so I might not have even made it to adult-"

His voice trailed off as they came to a clearing. In said clearing a cobblestone walkway lead to an old, two-story stone house that had clearly seen better days.

"You think this is the place other me was talking about?" Dean asked.

"Maybe," Sam answered, starting up the walkway, "And that means he probably won't be back here anytime soon."

"But didn't he say something about going to get his partner?" Dean replied.

Sam opened his door then quickly looked around the premises, "You see anyone else here?"

Dean shrugged and the pair walked in, but froze inside the dark-paneled living room, staring that the back wall where a young boy laid sleeping on a sofa .

"Well," Sam spoke up, "So much for that."


	15. Two Lone Souls

"That explains why other me didn't recognize you," Dean said, "I mean, this universes' you is what, ten?"

"What makes you think that's me?" Sam asked.

"Ah, because I remember what you looked like as a kid and I have eyes," Dean replied.

Suddenly, awakened by the sound of their voices, the boy on the sofa sat up and opened his eyes. "Dean?" He asked, his filled with sleep.

"Yeah, Sammy," Dean said, playing along, "It's me."

"What's wrong with your voice?" Little Sam asked, "It sounds huskier-" His eyes widened when he realized Dean wasn't alone. "Who's he?! The boy exclaimed clearly terrified, curling up into the corner of the couch.

"It's okay, " Dean said, " He's another hunter. He helped me out with the Croate." Dean leaned towards Sam and whispered in his ear, "I'll keep the kid busy while you work on the spell."

"Does that mean we're gonna the bounty with him?" Sam asked, sitting up.

"Yeah, sure we can," Dean said, approaching the boy and sitting down on the sofa, "What ah, bounty is that again?"

"The one for killing the Croates," Sam replied, looking confused.

He wasn't nearly as confused as Dean was. _"Sam's a kid, the world's empty, and we hunt for profit?"_ He thought, _"What the Hell is going on in this crazy universe?"_

Just then, out of nowhere, the child pressed the bridge of his nose, doubled over and groaning in pain.

Sam rushed over to his younger self.

"Is this what I think it is?"Dean said, grabbing onto the young boy so he didn't fall off the sofa, as something from long ago came to front of his mind from his memories.

"Not sure," The adult Sam said, "But maybe."

Then, as suddenly as it began, it all came to a stop. The boy looked up between the two men, visibly terrified.

This time Dean said it out loud, "What the Hell is going on in this crazy universe?!"

 **Some Abandoned Highway In What Use To Be Nebraska**

 **2065**

 _Dean hadn't seen anyone for days._

 _He was heading towards Last Chance, and hadn't come across a signal person. Not a caravan, not another bounty hunter, no travelers or bandits, not even a Crote. Even though he was use to the isolation, it was starting to get a little creepy._

 _It was then just he saw the thin trail of smoke so thin and light it was almost transparent, coming up through the trees._

 _Dean dug his heel into the side of his horse, signaling for her to stop. He then took a moment to think about what to do next. On one hand it could just be nothing, a caravan making camp for the night, or a start-up settlement, or something dangerous like a group or marauders, or a pack of Croates even. On the other hand, someone could need help, and even if it was marauders or Croates, that meant a bounty._

" _Come on, baby," Dean whispered into his horse's ear, and they turned towards the woods, "Let's see what's out there."_

 _They road for three miles before coming to the source of the smoke. Dean stared out in shock, and he singled for his horse to stop. Just when he thought nothing in this crapsack world he lived in could leave him utterly horrified, he found something like this._

 _It was a small village, or at least what was left of it, ransacked and burned to the ground. All that was left were the smoking charred back piles of debris where what looked like half a dozen houses once stood._

 _Dean the sound of something crunching under his horse's hoof. "Please don't be part of a corpse, please don't be part of a corpse…" He whispered to himself, as he looked down, then breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a crudely made wood-and-cloth doll. Then his heart dropped into his stomach when he realized why a doll would be abandoned in the middle of a place like this…_

 _Dean dismounted and picked up the doll, looking down at it sadly. What happened here? Had Croates attacked and killed everyone? But then where were the dead, and infected? There should be corpses, and maybe a few survivors, or something, but aside from the doll, and few spatters of what might be blood, might be something else, it was as if something had destroyed an empty village. And anyway, any settlement this far along should have a wall or guards, or both to prevent this sort of things from happening. The more Dean thought about it, the less what he was looking at made sense._

 _Dean was walking through the wreckage, looking for clues to whatever had happened when he heard a sneeze. Dean turned around to see a pair of brown eyes ducking back down into a pile of wreckage._

" _Hey," Dean said slowly approach the pile, "It's alright, come out of there."_

 _A figure stood up out of the rubble revealing a boy of about nine years of age. He was unspeakably thin, covered in dirt and shoot, and his eyes were wide and fearful._

" _Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you," Dean assured him, holding his hands out in front of him, "I just wanna know what happened here. Can you tell me?"_

 _The boy stared at him blankly._

 _Dean couldn't figure out if the boy was just traumatized by whatever had happened or touched in the head, so he decided to try a different approach. "Okay, let's start with names. I'm Dean, and this gorgeous thing here," he gently stroke his horse's neck, "Is Impala."_

" _I'm-I'm," The boy stuttered, "S-Sam."_

" _Nice meeting you Sam," Dean replied, slowly walking over to the boy, "Now," He crouched down so that he was as tall as the boy was, "Can you tell me what happened to everyone else?"_

" _Bad men came," Sam answered, "They-took everyone and burned everything down, and-"_

" _Whoa, up there a minute," Dean interrupted, "They_ took _everyone? As kidnapped? "_

 _Sam nodded._

" _You sure they didn't kill them?" Dean asked._

" _No," Sam said, "They took them."_

 _Okay, so not Croates then. Croates don't kidnap, they kill or they infect. So, marauders, maybe? "Okay then," Dean said, "How come they didn't get you?"_

" _My aunt distracted them and I was able to hide in the woods," Sam explained, "They were too busy to notice me."_

 _Dean though about what to do now for a moment. He didn't know what to make of all this but he knew one thing for sure, he was not leaving a child in this madness._

" _Well, then," He said, standing up, "We better get going."_

" _What do you mean we?" Sam said, stepping back a few feet, his panicked eyes darting around in search of an escape._

" _I mean, no way in Hell am I leaving you here," Dean said getting on Impala, who at Dean's signal walked closer to the boy. Dean extended his hand to Sam, who looked down at it apprehensively._

" _Look kid," Dean reasoned, "There's no way you're gonna make it out here. Either those men will come back or you'll starve to death. Just come with me and we'll figure it all out."_

 _Sam looked down at Dean's hand again, and this time took it. Dean helped him up onto Impala. "Hold on tight, " He said, grabbing the reins, and giving Sam a moment to get a good hold on him, "This can get a little bumpy."_

 _They traveled the rest of that day, and good portion of that night, than by the next midday they had made it to Last Chance, where Dean made a b-line for a local tavern where he knew the owner._

 _Sam clung tighter to Dean side they stepped into the crowded, noisy, bar. "It's alright," Dean said, running his fingers through the lad's light brown hair in comforting motion, "Just stick with me."_

 _The two sat down at a corner table, where Dean proceeded to flag down the waitress, a young woman with long blonde hair._

 _"Hey, Dean," The young woman said, as she approached them, then her eyes widened when he saw the bounty hunters strange new companion. "Who's your friend?" She asked as Sam slumped in his seat, trying to hide._

 _"This is Sam," Dean said, gesturing to the boy," found him in the woods. Sam, this is my friend Jo." He gestured to the young woman, "Don't worry, she doesn't bite."_

 _"It's nice to meet you too, ma'am," Sam said shyly, but sitting up straighter._

 _"And so polite," Jo commented, "Dean could learn something from you." Then she turned back to the aforementioned man and asked, "So, what's gonna be?"_

 _"Beer for me, milk for the kid if you got it," Then he eyed a pot of stew in the kitchen, "And a couple of bowels of that stew."_

 _"Coming right up," Jo said, starting to walk away, before turning back, and saying to Sam, "You keep him in line ,will you?"_

 _Sam smiled for the first time since Dean had met him. He had to admit, it was good to see the little guy starting to perk up. "So Sam," Dean began, "I know you mentioned you had an aunt, but do you have any other family, in another settlement maybe?"_

 _"I don't think so," Sam replied, cutting his eyes away from Dean, "My parents' left me with her when I was little, so I don't really remember them, and there was never anyone else."_

 _"And where did you parents go?" Dean asked, "Some other compound?" Perhaps they went to find work and intended to come back for their son when they could support him. And that meant that maybe he could track them down and reunite them all._

 _"I don't know," Sam answered softly._

 _Dean had come to the conclusion that this kid was obviously hiding something, but what?_

 _Before Dean could question him any further Jo arrived back at the table. "One beer," She said aloud as she sat the drink on the table, "One milk, two stews, and this," She sat down a pastry iced in green frosting, "Is on the house, for the kid."_

 _"Thanks Ms. Jo," Sam said, his eyes lighting up, as he dug his spoon into the stew._

 _"Don't thank me, it was my mom's idea," She said gesturing over to the bar where a older brunette woman was whipping it down, "And it's just Jo, sweetie." Then she turned back to Dean, "So I guess you two are gonna need a room for tonight?"_

 _"Yeah," Dean said, pulling out the ration stamps for the meal, "If you got one that'd be great."_

 _"Maybe a room with a washtub," Jo commented looking over to Sam, who froze mid-bite, patches of pink appearing beneath the shoot on his face._

 _"Where'd you find this kid again?" Jo asked._

 _"It was the weirdest thing," Dean said later, standing outside the door of their room while Sam took that bath, telling the story of how he found the boy to Jo and her mother, Ellen, "Except for him everyone was just...gone."_

 _"And they were taken, that's what he told you?" Ellen asked._

 _"Yeah," Dean said, "And what I saw more or less confirmed his story."_

 _"But why would someone kidnap a whole settlement?" Jo wondered aloud._

 _"Maybe it wasn't a regular settlement," Ellen suggested._

 _"What do you mean?" Dean asked, raising one eyebrow._

 _"He told that his parents left him with his aunt when he was too young to remember?" Ellen responded._

 _"Yeah," Dean replied, "That's what he said."_

 _"This village was in the middle of woods?" Ellen asked, "And had less than a dozen buildings?"_

 _"Yeah," Dean answered, "Why?"_

 _"It could have been a hide-out for physics," Ellen said, at last._

 _Dean and Jo's eyes perked up and they both stared at the woman. "What?!" They both exclaimed at once._

 _"It's not uncommon for physics to have...safe havens of sorts," Ellen explained, "Places out of the way, where no one can find them. When his powers started manifesting, his parents probably found one and left him there to keep him safe. So unless it ran in the family this aunt was probably just someone who was good enough to take him in. Then one day some bounty hunters finds it by chance see a big payday, gathers a bunch of his friends, next thing you know-"_

 _"They burn the whole place to the ground and carry everyone off," Jo finishes, "Except from one lucky little boy."_

 _"Just one problem with that theory," Dean said, "If he's physic why haven't I seen anything weird yet? I mean, I've with the kid for two days and I haven't seen him bend any spoons."_

 _"Powers vary Dean," Ellen said, "It could be anything from spoon-bending to visions to killing people with touch. And he might not be able to control it."_

 _"Why wouldn't he say anything?" Dean countered._

 _"Why wouldn't the terrified traumatized child who just saw everyone he knows, including the woman who had been raising him taken probably in a violent manner by hunters, tell a stranger who might or might not also be a bounty hunter that he's physic?" Ellen deadpanned, "I really have to answer that for you?"_

 _Dean knew what Ellen met. After the Croaton virus whipped out most of the population over a generation before, a strange phenomenon happened: five out of every ten children born to the few that had been immune to the virus had strange powers. As labs started popping up, they would pay top-dollar for these people, studying them in hopes of a cure. Even now a bounty hunter could be set for life by turning over just one physic. A whole village of them would be hard to pass up. Hell, as guilty as he felt about Dean couldn't help but think about what he could get on the kid in there._

 _"Dean," Jo spoke up, worried as she saw the hungry look in his eye, "You wouldn't sell that little boy would you?"_

 _"Of course not," Dean said, Jo's use of the word 'little boy' causing him to hate himself for even considering it for a moment, "Besides, we don't even know if he is or not."_

 _Just then here was a scream from the room. There Dean pulled opened the door and the three charged in, finding a half-dressed Sam on the floor, rubbing his temples in excoriating pain._

 _Immediately Dean ran over to Sam, bending down to meet him. "What's wrong?!" Dean asked, alarmed._

 _Sam didn't respond, only groaned again. Then, as soon as it happened, it stopped, and Sam looked up looking shocked. "W-what happened?" He asked weekly._

 _"We were just wondering the same thing," Dean said, "You scared us, buddy."_

 _"I'm sorry," Sam mumbled._

 _"That's alright," Dean said, "You can't help it if you're sick. You okay now?"_

 _"Yeah," Sam answered, softly, "It just happens sometimes."_

 _"What was that, anyway?" Dean asked._

 _Sam's eyes widened again, and he looked scared._

 _"No need to freak out, it's just-if you have any medical conditions I need to know," Dean explained._

 _"No, it's...it's not like that," Sam said, adverting his gaze from everyone in the room._

 _"Then how is it like sweetie?" Ellen asked, joining the two._

 _"I-I-"Sam stammered._

 _After a moment a silence, Ellen spoke up again. "Was that a vision?"_

 _Dean shot her a pissed-off look._

 _"Well, we're never gonna get anywhere if we don't ask," Ellen replied._

 _"You said it yourself, if he is-what you think he is, he's got a thousand reasons not to trust us," Dean replied._

 _"You know, night try not talking like the kid's not there," Jo suggested._

 _Ellen and Dean looked at Jo, looked at each other, and then looked at Sam._

 _"And maybe not crowd the kid?" Jo added._

 _"Right," Ellen said, backing, and giving the boy his space._

 _Sam looked up again. "It was this girl," He said slowly, sounding lost, "And something blurry. They're not always clear."_

 _Now it was Dean's eyes that widened. The kid was actually admitting to being physic? Well, at least now things were starting to make sense. "And all the people in your village? They were physic, too?"_

 _Sam nodded. "We had to stay hidden because people would hurt us if they knew," He said solemnly, "They'd lock us up, and cut us open, because they think we can stop the virus."_

 _Dean looked over to Ellen again with questioning look._

 _"You expect me to know?" Ellen asked, "I don't know what goes on in the labs, for all I know-" She lowered her voice and leaned in where Sam was unlikely to hear, "They could be vivisecting them."_

 _Dean gave her another look as he had no idea what that mean._

 _"Basically it's like dissection except whatever you're dissecting is alive." Ellen explained, her voice in a whisper._

 _Then Dean's look turned to horrified, which he was. Then he turned back to Sam, still clearly horrified, and said, "Okay, that settles it. You're staying with me, and we are never going to any compound built around a lab! "_

 _That gave Sam a flicker of hope. "Really?"_

 _"Of course," Dean said, "There's no way I'm letting those-those butchers get their hands on you!"_

 _"But," Sam began, confused, "You're bounty hunter."_

 _"Yeah," Dean agreed, "But I also have a conscience that wouldn't let me forgive myself if I did that to you. So, until I figure out a better plan, we're just gonna have to stick together, okay?"_

 _"Okay," Sam said, gratefully, but still a little afraid._

 _"Good," Dean said, gently patting the boy's shoulder, "Now, get some sleep. We're heading out tomorrow."_

 _Just as Dean said, they made to leave the next day. "Hey, Dean," Ella called out, as they walked through the bar, "Can I talk to you a second?"_

 _"Sure," Dean said, turning to her, then turned back to Sam, "Sammy, can you go wait with Jo while talk to Ellen?"_

 _"Okay," Sam answered, "But it's Sam, alright?"_

 _"Good to know," Dean replied, as the two went their separate ways. "What did want to talk about?" He asked, sitting down at the bar._

 _"What exactly is your plan for that kid?" Ellen asked._

 _"Honesty?" Dean began, "I have no idea. I mean, my life-it's too unpredictable to keep him permenately. But I can't exactly leave him here, can I? I mean," He looked around the room, and then turned to Ellen and continued, "Is there anyone here who's_ not _a hunter? And I know, that you wouldn't tell anyone, and you wouldn't let anyone mess with him, but to make you can't keep an eye one him twenty-four a day. Anywhere I take the kid he's gonna have a target on his back. And I have no clue where to find any of these physic hideouts, or whatever you wanna call them." Dean rubbed his temples just thinking about the mess he had landed in._

 _"I'm sorry, Dean," Ellen said, sincerely, "I wish I could do more to help you."_

 _"You've done more than enough," Dean assured her, "And I can't thank you enough for it. I'll just play it by ear, and figure it out. Which means I have to go." He got up from the bar and said, "See you around."_

 _"Good luck," Ellen called after him._

 _"Thanks," Dean called back at her, before turning his attention Sam, who was sitting at a corner table, talking to Jo._

 _"Sam!" Dean called out, getting the boy's attention, "Time to go."_

 _Sam got up, said goodbye to Jo, and ran to Dean. "Come on," Dean said, "Let's get out of here."  
They traveled down the road in silence, until at last Sam asked, "Where are we going?"_

 _"Honestly," Dean said, "I don't have a freakin' clue." Then he remembered there were little ears around now, and added, "Don't say freaking. It's not a nice word."_

 _"I know that," Sam said, "I'm not a baby."_

 _Dean smirked. "Alright," He said, "I'll give you that."_

 _Then, suddenly there was a scream. Dean singled for Impala to stop. Should he go in, or not go in? Normally this wouldn't be an issue, he'd jump in head first, but usually he didn't have a kid with him. If it was a Croate it could attack Sam, kill him. Or, if they got Dean, and Sam somehow got away, there wasn't another person from miles, the next compound was a good 40 miles away._

 _"Dean," A voice suddenly whispered in his ear, "I think we should go there."_

 _"Hun?" Dean said turning around._

 _"We need to go in there, I think," Sam began, paused, then started again," I think someone's in danger's up there."_

 _"Well, I think that's kind of obvious, I mean they wouldn't be screaming if..." Then something occurred to him, "Sam, what did you see last night?"_

 _"Like I said, I couldn't see, but the girl I saw last night, she was screaming, too..." Sam's voice trailed off and he was starting to get visibly upset._

 _"It's alright, I get it," Dean said, "But you think that was her? The girl you saw?"_

 _"I can't be sure," Sam said, "But could we just look, Dean? Please?"_

 _"Not we," Dean said, directing Impala to where the scream came from, "Just me. You," He got up his horse then picked up Sam, "Are staying here."_

 _"Hey!" Sam protested, kicking his feet in the air before Dean sat him on the ground._

 _Dean pulled a pistol from a back on the horse's side, knelt down in put it in the boy's hand. "Only use this if you have to," He instructed, "But if you to," Dean got behind Sam, and put the gun into his hands in the proper position, "You aim it at whatever you want to shoot, and pull the trigger. And only pull the trigger if you want to shoot something. You got that?"_

 _Sam nodded._

 _"Good," Dean said, getting back on the horse, "Now if I'm not back by tomorrow morning you turn around and head back to Last Chance." He knew it was a long shot that kid could make it on foot, on his own, but it was the only shot he had._

 _"But-" Sam began._

 _"Not buts," Dean said firmly, but then his tone and face softened as he added, "Look, I'm gonna be fine, this is...just in case, okay?"_

 _Sam nodded as he watched the horse trot off with Dean on it._

 _There was another scream as Dean ventured further into the forest. He knew must be getting close. Then suddenly there was movement in the trees nearby. He readied his own weapon when a girl came bursting out of the trees in a state of terror. Dean didn't have to be physic to figure out she had been the one screaming. Dean got off his horse and caught the girl when she fell into him._

 _"It's alright," Dean said, holding the girl as she struggled to get away from him, "I'm not gonna hurt you."_

 _The girl finally calmed down enough that Dean let go of her. "Now," Dean said, "What's going on?"_

 _"Croates," The girl breathed, "Six of them. I was with a caravan, they..."_

 _"Okay," Dean said, getting the picture, "Down the path that's way you'll find the road again. There's a boy by the side of it, wait with him, okay?"_

 _"Okay," The girl breathed, running off in the opposite direction._

 _Dean pulled his other pistol from his side and crept the way the girl had came. Suddenly a blur came at him from the side, but fortunately Dean was just as fast, shooting him in the head. Another came at from the right and he took them out, just like the one before. Then he did the same with the next one. And the one after that. Dean looked around wait for the next one to come at him. Hadn't the girl said there was six? Then he heard more rustling in the trees, turned to the sound and saw to his utter horror that the Croate was heading back to the road, where Sam and the girl were._

 _"It's okay," Sam was saying to the girl as the two sat on the side of the road, "You're safe now."_

 _"I'm not so sure about that," The girl, Camille, her name was, said, surveying her surroundings for the fifth time since she found him._

 _"Dean will get 'em," Sam replied, "He said he would."_

 _"You must have a lot of faith in him," Camille reasoned, "How do you know him anyway?"_

 _Sam opened his mouth but before he could offer any answer, a man burst through the trees, eyes red, the sign that disease had gone its full course, and the victim was now nothing more than a killing machine._

 _Camille and Sam leapt up and ran. Just Dean jumped out of the tree, aiming . He was fast but this time the creature was faster, knocking Dean to the ground. Teeth bared, the monster was about to go in for a kill when a loud_ bang _went off and the monster stopped, grabbing his shoulder in pain. Snarling, he turned around and glared at Sam, who was holding the gun Dean had gave him with his shaking hands._

 _"You think you're tough, runt?" The man growled, "I'll teach you to shoot at me."_

 _The creature ran for Sam, but before he could attack Dean leaped up pistol in hand and shot the Croate in the chest until he fell to the grown. "You two okay?" He asked of both Sam and Camille, who now hand her hands clutching the young boy's shoulders._

 _"I'm fine," Camille said, then looking down at the boy said, "Sam?"_

 _Sam just nodded, but his eyes were like saucers and he seemed to be in shock._

 _"Not too bad for your first time," Dean said, taking the gun away from Sam, "I'll have to teach you a couple of things, thought." Then he turned to Camille and asked, "Where you were headed?"_

 **Some Field In Colorado, Four And A Half Days Later**

 _"Okay," Dean said, standing behind Sam with his hands on the gun, "This is a trigger. Like I said the other day, you don't pull it unless you want to shoot something."_

 _Suddenly the gun went off, hitting one of the cans Dean had set up on an old fence post._

 _"I wanted to shoot something," Sam said flatly, just staring at the empty space where they can use to be._

 _Dean tried to not to laugh, but couldn't help it. "I'll give it to you, kid," He smirked, "You got spunk."_

 _They had dropped Camille off at Carrion Glade, the compound her caravan had been heading to when the Croates attached them, collecting the bounty that it turned out was being offered for dealing with the Croates, and hi-tailed it out of there. Carrion Glade had grown up around the lab so the sooner they were out of there the better as far as Dean was concerned._

 _So after a few days of ridding, Dean decided it was a good idea to full his promise to teach Sam to shoot. He figured the kid had to learn if he was gonna stay on the road with Dean for any length of time. Though it looked like the kid already had some practice._

 _"Have you done this before?" Dean asked, "Before the other day, I mean." One thing he had learned in the past four days is that Sam wasn't above a cheeky answer._

 _"Aunt Pamela tried to teach me once," He answered, "I wasn't good at first, but I got a little better before we put it up."_

 _That gave Dean pause. They had guns? Then why hadn't they used them when the hunters came? But Dean swallowed down those questions and instead said, "It shows. You're a natural."_

 _"Thank you," Sam said quietly._

 _"Come on, try it again," Dean encouraged._

 **Skyport, A Month And A Half Later**

 _"So there I was," Garth an acquaintance of Dean's said, as he told the assembled people, Dean and Sam among them, of his latest misadventure, "My ankle stuck in the fence, and this Croate is just starting at me. I'm think I'm done for, then I see this frying pan a few feet away so I grab it and when the Croate charges me I swing it at and it actually manages to put it down for a few minutes."_

 _Bobby, another hunter at the table, was shaking his head. "How are you still alive?"_

 _"How did you get out?" Sam spoke up._

 _"Well," Garth replied, "The Croate was down long enough that I was able to wiggle free, get my gun back and put it down."_

 _"Again, I repeat," Bobby said, "How are you still alive?"_

 _"What about you, Dean?" Annie, the only female at the table, changed the line of conversation, "You've been unusually quiet tonight. What have you been up, too?"_

 _"Oh, you know," Dean said, his heart stopping for a few minutes, "Same old, same old. Saving people, hunting things."_

 _"Seriously?" Annie replied, "That's all you're gonna give us? You're not even gonna address the elephant in the room?" She gestured to Sam._

 _"What? I already told you," Dean retorted, "His parents were killed by Croates, forgive me for not going into detail in front of the kid."_

 _"Okay, I'll give you that," Annie relented to a certain extent, "But why is he still tagging along with you? Shouldn't have dropped him off at an orphanage or something by now?"_

 _"I'm doing my homework first," Dean explained, "I'm not gonna leave the kid just anywhere."_

 _That part was true. Aside from the added complications that came from Sam being physic, Dean didn't want to drop the kid off at some place where he'd be neglected or abused. He had to admit though, he was gonna miss Sam when he was gone. Dean was getting pretty fond of the kid. Kind of like the little brother he never had._

 **Montana, A Year Later**

 _Dean put a bullet through the head of a male Croate. Then he turned around and saw the last member of the of the pack, a female with short blonde hair, running towards the woods._

 _He ran to where Sam was watching from the porch. "Go inside, wait for me to come back."_

 _Sam ran back in, letting the door slam behind him as Dean took to the forest._

 _Dean had to give her credit, she had skill. He had been chasing the Croate for over an hour and had once again lost sight of her. "Come on, come on," He murmured to himself, "She's got to be here somewhere."_

 _Just then he saw a flash of purple skirt and followed it to the side of the old road. Dean aimed his riffle and filled the creature's head full of buck-shot. As the body fell Dean saw two people just standing in the middle of the road. One, a very tall man with longest brown hair. The other looked just like Dean._

 **Montana, Right Now**

The child Sam scampered behind Dean, still clearly scared out of his mind.

"Hey, hey, hey," Dean said, turning around to face the boy and crouching down so he was at his level, "It's alright, no reason to be scared."

"W-what about him?" The child asked, pointing at the adult Sam.

"Him?" Dean said, looking back at his Sam, still pretending to be the Dean of the universe, "He's not gonna say anything, are you, Sam?" He nodded at his Sam, gesturing for him to play along.

"Yeah, " Sam said, nodding maybe a little too eagerly, "Your secrets' safe with me, kid." Sam wasn't entirely sure if it was a secret here, but given how his younger self was reacting, it was a good guess.

The younger Sam looked to his older shelf, and then back to Dean, then repeated the motion.

"Have I ever steered you wrong?" Dean asked, really hoping his other universe self hadn't.

"Okay," The younger Sam said, slowly getting up, "Can we go now?"

"In a little bit, but me and Sam have a couple of things to finish up first, so, why don't you just sit back down and try to get back to sleep, okay?" Dean replied hopefully.

"Okay," Sam said, unsure and confused, but complying.

Dean went over to join his Sam.

"Go back to sleep?" Sam whispered.

"Do you really want him to see what we're gonna do?" Dean challenged, "This kid's got enough on his plate without us scaring the Hell out of him and scaring him for life."

Working together Dean and Sam prepared the spell as quickly as possible before that universe's Dean could show up.

"Dean," The younger Sam asked as watched the rather strange affair from his spot on the settee, "What are you two doing?"

"It's ah...complicated," Dean said, then trying to change the subject added, "So, ah, what did you see earlier?"

The boy got that deer in the headlight look again.

"It's okay," Dean encouraged him, "It's safe here, remember?"

"There was an old man," Sam said, "I think he was stick. He was in a bed and coughing up blood. I don't think it's anything we can use. I'm sorry."

"That's okay buddy," Dean said, throwing the last ingredient in. "Man," He whispered to his Sam, "His visions might suck even more than yours did."

"We might have bigger problems than that," Sam replied, looking at the window where that universe's Dean had just appeared from the forest, taking a minute to pet his horse, which due to its location they couldn't see earlier.

"Alright, we need to get out of here," Dean said, flipping the spell book to the right page, "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

Suddenly a fierce wind started swirling around the room threatening to tear the rickety house apart.

The younger Sam jumped to his feet.

"Stop!" Dean shouted firmly, extending his arm with his palm up, "Don't move, just don't. " The last thing he wanted was the kid getting caught in the blast zone. Fortunately there wasn't enough time before everything went white.

After the light went off inside, Dean rushed up the parch and threw open the door. "Sam!" He bellowed.

"Here," Sam said, running up to Dean, "Is it really you this time?"

"Of course it's me," Dean said, "Why wouldn't it be me?"

To answer his question Sam told Dean the story of what had just occurred. Releasing these were probably the same people he ran into on the road, Dean told his adopted brother his own bizarre encounter.

"What do you think they were?" Sam asked once they had both finished, "What do you think they wanted?"

"I don't know," Dean admitted, "But, I don't think there was any harm done." He gently clasped Sam's shoulder, "Come on let's get out of here."

And so, getting on Impala, the make-shift family road off to their next destination.


	16. Windows And Walls

**AN: I'm going to be out of town this weekend, so I'm posting a little early. Sorry this is one of the short chapters, but next's week will be longer, I promise.**

This time the boys found themselves lying in something not hard, but definitely not soft. When their vision cleared, they looked down and found they were tangled up in evergreen shrubs. As they worked to untangle themselves, they found the shrubs surrounded a little yellow house.

"Well, this all looks pretty normal," Dean observed, as he pulled himself onto the grass, afraid to stand up in case someone saw them through the window they were by, "At least comparatively."

Sam didn't respond as he worked to get himself out of the bushes when he was halfway out and realized something important. " Hey Dean," He said, "Where's the bag?"

They both turned around and stared at the duffle sticking out of the shrubs. They turned around and hurried back as fast as they could while crawling on their stomachs. Dean grabbed the bag straps. "Ah, ha," He beamed, pulling it down to the grown, "Got it." He was making his way back to Sam when something on the inside of the house caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He peaked into the window and saw a tiny white room, sparsely furnished with a bed in one corner and divan in the other. Lying on the divan was a figure covered by a tan coat. Kneeling by his side, looking very concerned, was that universe's Dean Winchester. Just then that universe's Sam came into the room, looking concerned as well. Sam said something that Dean couldn't hear from the other side of the glass, but he figured it was probably an inquiry as to how the person on the Divan was doing. The Dean inside turned to his brother, and said something that again he couldn't make out through the glass.

"What's the hold-up?" His Sam asked, crawling over to Dean.

"Got a little distracted," Dean said, "Sorry."

Before they go on, the Sam on the inside went over to window.

"Get down, get down," Dean said, and he and Sam ducked down where they couldn't be scene, just as that universe's Sam opened the window, saying ,"Trust, me, letting in the fresh air will do him some good. At the very least it couldn't hurt. "

"Hopefully you're right," Dean said, sounding worried.

"I'll be-" A third voice, low and starchy, spoke up, "I'll be find. This always happens."

Sam and Dean peaked into the open window in time to say, "Yeah," Like he didn't really believe it, "Right," as he ran his fingers through the figure on the divan's dark hair.

That settled it. The person on the divan was Castiel. A Castiel that was clearly in some sort of medical distress.

"What do you think happened?" Sam whispered, "Maybe he got stick? Angels probably don't develop antibodies. "

"But if he was angeled -up he wouldn't get stick," Dean countered.

At that point that universe's Sam left the room and Dean went back to his visual.

"Well, I don't think we're gonna be able to figure it out," Sam said, watching the scene in the window, "Let's get out of here."

They started to turn around when they saw the Dean inside the house look up. Apparently, now that the window was open, he could hear the movements.

The brother froze and silently agreed to wait until that universe's Dean was gone or had fallen asleep.

It took hours but Dean fell asleep, splayed out by the divan.

"Alright, let's go," Sam said, and the two crawled out of the bushes and started pulling out the stuff for the spell. They were so focused on what they were doing they didn't even hear someone enter the room and walked up to window.

At least not until that person called out, "What are you doing?!"


	17. Angel Blood

They turned around to find to their surprise, not one of the Winchesters or even Cas, but a young woman in her early or mid-twenties, with wavy dark blonde hair that cascaded over her shoulders, the honey color contrasting with the light grey of too-large sweater she was wearing.

"Look, miss," Sam started, "We can explain..."

"Let me guess," The young woman cut him off, "Parallel universe?"

Dean and Sam exchanged surprised looks. How did she know?

"I'm an angel, I know something about these sorts of things," The girl offered in explanation, "But I've never actually seen it before."

"Oh," Sam replied, "Yeah, we are from a parallel universe, we're -"

"Alternate version of the Winchester brothers," The young angel finished.

"And you are?" Dean asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Muriel," The angel replied, "My name's Muriel, I'm one of their bleeders."

"Bleeder?" Dean replied, now completely confused.

Muriel responded by jumping out of the windows and walking over to them. She pulled down the sleeve of her sweater, revealing a sliver tubular bracelet on her wrist, and a spot on her forearm with a band-aid on it. "That's where they took blood from me this afternoon," She explained, "They do it about once a month, sometimes twice. Cas, too, that's why he's like he is right now. He was injured before he was a bleeder and he never fully recovered, so after the harvest he gets very weak." She looked back at the house with very worried look on her face, "But I don't think it's ever been this bad before."

"Okay, but, why are they taking blood from you and Cas in the first place?" Dean asked, officially wanting to know what was going on in this universe.

"To make Angel Blood," Muriel said, as if it was obvious.

"Isn't it already angel blood?" Sam asked.

"I mean the drug," Muriel elaborated, suddenly wanting to stop talking. This conversation was starting remind her of the days she was as clueless about Angel Blood as they were now. Well, almost as clueless...

 **Lebanon, Kansas, 2013**

 _The first thing Muriel was aware of when she came to was the sense of someone else's presence, watching her. She slowly opened them and looked around, her eye quickly going to dark-haired man on all fours, standing to the side of her, vigilently watching. She had clue who he was, or where they were, or how she got here._

 _"What-" She began, starting to set up, but then she suddenly felt woozy._

 _"Easy there," The man said, grabbing onto her shoulder and gently lowering her down, "The vertigo should ease in a few minutes."_

 _"Where-" She tied again "Where am I?"_

 _"I think it was a farm at one point," The man said. It appeared that he was trying to avoid some point, something he didn't want to come out and tell her._

 _"Then what is it now?" Muriel tried again._

 _"You might want to brace yourself," The man advised. It was at that point she realized he was an angel like her._

 _"Please brother," She pleaded, going from shocked to frightened, "Just tell me."_

 _"It's a blood harvesting operation," He finally said, "For Angel's Blood."_

 _Muriel's heart stopped and she felt her entire body go cold. She knew about the Angel's Blood, the drug named for its main ingredient. After an angel was banished after getting caught on film and accidently exposing their extistence to all humanity-and those who spoke up in his defense banished with him-the world changed forever. The population had suddenly gone up by 10% percent, people were terrified, not knowing if these creatures were a threat, or if they meant some kind of ill-intent. And the angel's had no idea what to do either, scattered to the four winds, trapped in a strange world unable to go home again because of trumped-up charged. And of course, a few unscrupulous persons discovered how to profit off of it. Case in point, whoever discovered that angel blood mixed with empedamines, caffeine, and sugar of all things, you get a drug that causes sensations to heighten, to make however took to feel super strong, and fast. It became very popular in the criminal underworld because it was profitable and easy to make. And so was gathering up angels, harvesting their blood, and selling it to the manufacturers. Muriel had heard of angels strap for cash actually volunteering in exchange for money, but most of them were snatched off the streets, held captive and used up. And now, despite taking all precautions, she was one in their number._

 _"No," She said out loud, shaking her head, "No."_

 _"I'm sorry," The other said, "Truly, I am." And, in truth, he was angry. Why did they need another angel?! They already had five in prime or almost prime condition! How many angels did one harvesting operation need?! And now, this poor girl was condemned to this life._

 _But that wasn't their fault. If they hadn't bought her then some other operation would have had, and God only knows what would have happen to her then._

 _Muriel slowly tried to sit up again, succeeding, and saw a window, "Is that locked?"_

 _"Yes, but it's very easy to open," The angel answered, then, seeing what was going on in her head, "I know what you're thinking, but don't. You won't get far." He took her arm and pulled down her sleeve, revealing a sliver tubular bracelet that wasn't there when she was walking home. "This is basically a modified shock collar," He explained, "If you get to where the woods meet the property line it goes off, and trust me, it's not pleasant." He pulled down his sleeve, revealing an identical bracelet tightly coiled around his own wrist._

 _"No, no," Muriel moaned, rubbing her face in her hands, "This cannot be happening."_

 _They both silent for a moment. "There could be worst places to end up," Her offered, trying desperately to provide any comfort he could, "The angels are actually treated humanely, especially compares to some operations."_

 _Muriel couldn't believe he had just said that. "Seriously?" She replied, on the verge of hysterical, "You seriously believe that?" She leapt up from the divan they had been on and threw herself at the wall pounding a hole in it with her fist._

 _"Hey!" A male's husky, raised voice called out as heavy footsteps clomped down the hall, "What's going on in there?"_

 _The male angel grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her back from the walk in time for the man to walk in. "Nothing, Dean," The male angel said, "She's just a little upset. I believe that's understandable under the circumstances."_

 _The man's eyes moved over to the spot in the wall. "Did she do that?"_

 _"It was an accident," The male angel said, "I'm sure it's not as bad it looks."_

 _Dean walked over to inspect the damage to the wall._

 _"Calm down and look as scared as you possibly can," The male angel whispered in Muriel's ear, "We can still make it out of this in one piece."_

 _Muriel did as she was told. She knew that for the moment this human had control over whether she lived or died, and she just might have just got herself killed._

 _Dean face was contorted in anger until he turned and saw how terrified the newest bleeder look then his face softened. "It's alright," He said, brushing out a strand of hair that fallen into her face during the struggle in a move that was meant to be comfort, "No one here is gonna hurt you. And Cas is right, it's not nearly as bad as it looks. A little spackle, a little paint, and it'll be good as new. Just...don't do it again, okay?"_

 _Muriel nodded, keeping her eyes wide, and continuing to shake._

 _"Alright then," Dean said, "Cas, I think you can take it from here, I got some other business to attend to. "_

 _After Dean left, the angel, who introduce himself as Castile explained to her how the operation worked. It was small operation ran by two brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester. Aside from himself, there were four other bleeders. The other four usually stayed in the barn out of choice. The harvest took place one of two times a month. They were given free reign over most of the property but the bracelets kicked in around where the woods meet the property line, and if they tried to go for the road._

 _"Like I said, before it's not pleasant," He said near the end, "If we were any other creature, the voltage level would kill us. Instead it just cause excorticating pain the keeps you from moving until it goes off."_

 _"And no one's ever escaped?" Muriel asked forlorn, "No one's ever even tried?"_

 _"We've all tried," Castiel replied,_ " I've _tried. How do you think we all wound up on the receiving end of the bracelets? And they also give us a nice little shock if we try to fly off, even though most of us have had our wings magically bound, clipped, or otherwise mutilated upon our capture."_

 _Suddenly her hear turned to look at her back. The one thing that hadn't crossed her mind this whole time since she woke up was her wings. Now she was staring at her back, afraid to attempt to unfurl them._

 _"Don't," Castiel advised, "Either the bonds will make it impossible to unfurl, all your flight father will be gone, or worst case scerino your wings will actually be slashed opened. Either way the pain will be unbearable."_

 _Muriel decided not to try to unfurl them. He was probably speaking from experience. And if she was going survive she was going to have to rely on that experience._

 _"Can I meet the others?" Muriel asked after a moment._

 _"Of course," Castiel said, getting up and leading her away._

Lebanon Kansas

Present Day

"So let me get this strait," Dean said, after Muriel had finished explaining what Angel Blood was, "An angel get banished for getting caught on a tape that winds up confirming their existence to the world, and then anyone who tried to point out that this is a little harsh gets sent down right along with him? And humanity's first response is to distil their blood into a party drug?"

"Well, it wasn't there first response," Muriel replied, "It was just side-effect. Their first response was to panic, send the authorities after us, then figure out what rights we had."

"And do you?" Sam asked, "Have any rights, I mean? Because from what you've told me, I'm not sure."

"Of course we do," Muriel said, "One of the charges your parallels would face if they were ever busted would be false imprisonment and assault. We have most of, if not all the same rights human do. Well, our exact voting rights vary from state to state and there are some jobs we can't have but it's more out of choice and practically, for example, you don't see any angels in the advertising business, and angels who find careers in law enforcement usually get in trouble for excess force..."

"Hold on," Sam interrupted, "Angels have jobs?"

"We might not need food or sleep to survive, but no one likes living on the streets," Muriel explained, "And shelter takes money. Before all this I worked at a hospital."

"And you don't want to get back to that?" Dean demeaned, "You just let these duschebags take everything from you?!"

"I've been trying to escape for two years," Muriel replied defensively, "It's not as easy as it looks. I've tried everything short of cutting off my hand to get this bracelet and if I thought that would work I'd do it in a heartbeat if meant I could out and get help for the others."

"Others?" Sam asked, "You mean there's more than just you and Cas?"

"There are six of us total," Muriel replied, "Most have and given up and Cas...Cas is a complicated case."

"What do you mean complicated?" Dean asked, "Like Stockholm Syndrome complicated?"

"I guess you could call it that," Muriel replied, "Dean-well, our Dean-was just seventeen when he got into the harvesting business and he didn't have much cash. There this guy trying to sale this angel that had been in the fights for years, and it looked he didn't have long -"

"I'm sorry, I have to stop you again," Dean interrupted, "The fights?"

"Angel fighting is another popular form of exploitation," Muriel explained, "All you have to do to get less time than dog-fighting is claim the angels were willing participants. They're not exactly swearable by the time many of them are rescued."

"And yet me guess," Dean said, "That angel was Cas."

Muriel nodded. "They nursed him back to help, let him roam around, were much nicer to him in general then his last captors were," Muriel said, "And because of that he's devoted to them. And I think they genuinely like him, I mean, I know out of all of us he's Dean's favorite. And of, since most of the other angels are afraid he's going to go off one day, aside from me he's all they have." She started rubbing her head, like she had headache. "This whole thing, it's just-it's just a mess."

Both men just stared at the poor angel for a moment. They wish there was something they could do to help her. But maybe there was.

"Here," Sam said, pulling out his knife and handing it too her, "I know you've probably thought of this, but in case you haven't...just try cutting the bracelet off your wrist first, before you cut off your hand, okay?"

"Thank you," Muriel said, gratefully, taking the knife and putting it into her pocket. Suddenly movement could be heard from inside the house.

"It's Sam," Muriel informed them, "He's probably coming to check on us. I'll stall him, you two finish this spell. " And with that she ran back over to the window jumped through it, and ran out of sight.

"Okay, you get the goat bile, I'll get the accenighte," Dean said.

They hastily prepared the spell, then Sam read aloud, "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind started to blow through the threes and once again they found themselves blinded by a white light.

When they came to they were back on the bunker floor. Unlike last time the place was utterly deserted.

"Do you we actually got back to our universe?" Dean asked hopefully, but not actually believing it to be true.

"But wouldn't it drop us back at the cabin?" Sam wondered.

Just then Sam's voice came from down the hall, pleasing with someone, "Please baby just listen!"

Dean threw back his head in experasperation. "Let's see what we got this time."


	18. Out Of The Past

Within seconds two people came into view. The first was a rather irate woman with shoulder-length blonde hair. The other was Sam.

The women seemed familiar to both the brothers, and they knew they should know her, that they really should, but they couldn't quite put their finger on it. They also couldn't figure out why they both felt so sad.

It looked like the pair weren't about to offer any answer. They were too engrossed in their agreement to even notice them. So Dean and Sam took the opportunity to try to hide in the stacks until they left.

"I'm sorry, Sam," The woman was saying, "But I can't take it anymore. You picked him over me, again! Just like you've been doing for the past ten years. I've had enough."

Sam's voice picked up again..."Look, Jess, I know I screwed up..."

Dean's heart dropped. Sam's completely stopped. Suddenly his head felt thick and there was a ringing in his ears, like he had seashells strapped on either side of his head. Dean was saying something but he couldn't understand what was being said. At least not until Dean shook him roughly shouting at the top of his lungs "Sam!"

Suddenly Sam came back to himself just in time to hear the footsteps running towards before that universe's Sam and Jessica came into view. "What the-" She began.

"Dean!" That universe's Sam called out, facing away from them, "You better get in here!"

Jessica shot Sam a hateful look.

"Oh, like you don't want back-up," Sam replied.

"There's no need for back-up" Dean protested.

"Considering you're not my favorite person right now anyway, you might want to shut up." Jessica snapped

"What about me?" Sam spoke for the first time since the revelation, "Can I talk? Do you still trust me?'

"I might if you weren't also by my side at the moment," Was what she came back with.

"Look," Sam continued, trying to get some control over the situation, "We don't mean any harm, we're just-trying to get back to where we're from." That actually had her interest peaked.

At that point that universes' Dean showed up. "Okay where's the fi-" His voice trailed off when he saw their doubles on the ground, "What the Hell?"

"I know," Jessica replied, "But don't worry," she pointed to the Sam on the ground, "That one was about to explain."

And so, Sam got into what was becoming all-to-well-practiced story about what happened with Little Tree, and the six parallel universes they had already been to.

"Wow," That universe's Dean said when all was finished, "Sounds like you guys have been having a rough day."

"It might a rough couple of days," The Dean on the floor said, "We're not sure how long we're been on this ride anymore."

"Just one question," Jessica spoke up, "Where was I?"

Sam and Dean exchanged looks. What should tell her? Should they tell her truth? Should they make something up? How do you tell somebody they're dead? With Kevin, it had just came out without much thought, but now...

"Hello," She called out, pulling them out of their thoughts, "Are you going to tell me or not?" After another moment, she added, half-joking, "What, I died or something?" When she saw the mournful look on their faces, she exclaimed, "Holy, crap, I'm dead?!"

"I'm sorry," Sam said sincerely.

"How did it happen?" Jessica asked, "Was it a hunt? What was it then? " After a moment she added, "Please, _please_ tell me it wasn't angels. That'd be embarrassing."

"Why would angels-"Sam began than switch gears and said, "You were killed by a demon because he wanted me to get back into hunting."

"Wait," Jessica said, genuinely surprised, " _That's_ what got me? But I-"

"Maybe you weren't a hunter in their universe," Her Sam suggested, wrapping his arms around her, trying to comfort her, "Maybe you-she didn't know what to do."

"Yeah, Sam, that's not a very comforting though," Jessica said.

Suddenly, the Sam on the ground was in shock again. Jessica? A hunter? No, his Jessica wasn't a hunter. He would've known. He would've freaking known!

"I take from that look on his face I guessed right," The Sam currently wrapped around Jessica said.

"Yeah," Dean said, "And now we're the ones that are confused. Since when are you a hunter?"

 **Stanford, California**

 **2005**

 _"Call me if you find him?" Sam asked of his brother, leaning into the window of the Impala._

 _Dean nodded._

 _"And maybe I can meet up with you later, hun?" He added._

 _"Yeah," Dean replied, "All right."_

 _Sam patted the car door twice then turned away. Dean leaned towards the passenger side door, his arm over the seat, and called out, "Sam?"_

 _Sam turned around._

 _"You know, we made a Hell of a team back there," Dean said._

 _"Yeah," Sam replied._

 _Having said his piece, Dean drove off. Sam watched until he was out view and sighed._

 _The first thing Sam noticed when he let himself in the apartment was plate of chocolate chip cookies with a note that said, "Miss you! Love you!" Sitting beside a National Geographic. He grabbed on in made his way to the bedroom, where he could hear Jessica in the shower. He sat on the bed, shut his eyes, and flopped onto his back. He sniffed the air and frowned, sitting up in confusion, because it smelled heavily of a mixture of sandalwood perfume and chocolate and cinnamon air freshener, but underneath it, there a fainter, foul smell, like rotten eggs..._

 _"Hey Jess!" He called out nervously._

 _She stepped out of the bathroom in multi-colored robe, hair drying her hair. "Yeah?"_

 _Her face briefly got that look on it one get when they're caught in something they had tried to cover up, then she said, "Oh, you know Billy, from Clanc?"_

 _"Yeah," Sam said uncertainly as he did not know any Billy in Calculus. Or a Billy period, for that matter._

 _"Well, he had this science project for another class," Jess began, "I don't know the details..."_

 _Sam flopped back down on the bed as she continued her explanation. That was when he saw she had tapped a bunch of posters to the ceiling while he was with Dean. At least two of them they hadn't owned when he left. As she rattled on with a story she was clearly making up as she was telling it, a shape was starting to form under said posters._

 _"Baby," He interrupted, "Why are you trying to hide a pentagram on the ceiling? Better yet, why is there a pentagram on the ceiling at all?"_

 _Jessica froze looking like she knew the solid organic waste was about to collide the rotational air circulation device._

 _"Come on babe," Sam said, swallowing thickly, "Just tell me."_

 _Oddly enough it was then that it occurred to Jess that if she wanted to get to the bottom of the events earlier that evening, she was probably going to have to tell him anyway. She walked over to the bed, and set on it beside Sam. She took a deep breath. "Okay," She began, "This is gonna be a little shocking, and possibly earth-shattering, and you may want to commit me by time I'm done, but I need you to just listen and not interrupt. Can you do that for me?"_

 _Sam nodded._

 _"And try not to hate me," She added solemnly, "I'm a hunter. There are things out there, scary things, monsters ghost, demons, and I hunt them, or at least... I use to."_

 _Suddenly Sam remembered an incident when they had first moved in together, and he had found a knife under their mattress. He had thought he had put it there and forgot, and disposed of it as fast as he could. Now he was thinking it wasn't him at all. Which would also explain whatever Jess had been franticly looking for the next day. In fact, now that he thought about it, there were numerous little incident that Jess being a hunter could actually explain. He couldn't believe he never saw it before! Sam could still hear Jessica talking, about to explain the_ real _reason for the sulfur, but he could contain himself no longer. He busted out laughing._

 _"Sam!" Jessica shouted indignantly, "I'm being serious! I know how crazy this sounds, but I swear, I'm not crazy!"_

 _"I know you're not honey," Sam managed to get out, "Believe me I know."_

 _"What's that suppose to mean?" Jessica asked, concerned she might have caused her boyfriend to have nervous breakdown which wasn't even in the top ten of the worst case scenarios she had thought up in her head during the hundred thousand times she immerged how this conversation might go._

 _"I'm a hunter, too," Sam explained, "Or well, I use to be. I never really liked the life, so I got out."_

 _"No," Jessica said, in a state of shock, "No, I would've figured it out, there's be something, there's..." Her voice trailed off for minute, then with a look of realization she exclaimed, "Salt lines!"_

 _"Excuse me?" Sam asked._

 _"I used to find these lines of slat at the doors and the windows," She elaborated, "I thought I had put them there and...I don't know, forgot about them, so I sweaped them up before you could notice." After a moment she added, "That was you?"_

 _"Old habits die hard," Sam admitted, "Sorry."_

 _"I thought I was losing my mind!" Jess exclaimed, playfully punching Sam's arm._

 _"I would like to point out that I am not the only guilty party here," Sam said, "Your knife's in my sock drawer, by the way."_

 _Now Jessica started laughing, falling down on the bed and laughing at the devil's trap she had spent a half-hour trying to cover up. Then they were both laughing at the absurdity of their lives._

 _That is, until Jessica remembered the reason she had to make the devil's trap in the first place. "Sam," She began, her face darkening, "There's something else you need to know. Something happened earlier..._

 _Dean had just made it out of town when his phone went off. He let it go to voicemail, until he heard Sam's voice saying, "Hey Dean, it's me, Sam. Bet you didn't expect to heard back from me this soon, but, um, we have a bit of a problem. Apparently while we gone Jess was attacked by a demon, and..."_

 _Dean pulled a u-turn and headed back to Sam's apartment._

 _"So, let me get this strait," Dean said, after hearing the whole story, "Jessica is hunter and you two never realized you both had the same secret because you thought you were both doing what the other person was doing?"_

 _Sam and Jess nodded in unison._

 _"Which is how she was able to get a jump on the demon she let in because it was possessing a friend of yours?" Dean asked._

 _Again, they nodded._

 _"And somewhere while you were pouring on the holy water and the salt, it mentioned that the reason it attacked you was to send a message to Sam?" Dean asked._

 _"He wanted to get Sam back into hunting," Jess elaborated," Or whoever it was working for does. He seemed rather keen that I know this wasn't his idea. I think it thought that might buy him some mercy." After a beat she added, "It didn't."_

 _There was a moment of silence then Dean spoke. "So, what now?"_

 _"This thing wants me back in," Sam said solemnly, "So I guess I'm back in."_

 _"Sam, no!" Jessica quickly, protested, grabbing his sleeve, "That is a bad idea for so many reasons. One, whatever, whatever this is, is planning, you'll be walking right into it, two, I'm assuming you got out of the life for a reason..."_

 _"I did," Sam admitted, "But you're more important than any reasons I had. This demon could've killed you and who knows if more are coming. I'm not gonna sit around and wait for that to happen."_

 _Jessica was silent for a moment, then said, "Well, then, I'm not either. I'm coming with you."_

Lebanon Kansas

Present Day

"Any questions?" Jessica asked, having finished the story.

"Yeah," Sam said, over the shock, "How did you become a hunter in the first place? And how did you get out?"

"I had that question, too," That universe's Sam, said.

Lost Creek Trail, Grand Junction, Colorado

2005

 _"You okay?" Sam asked as he and Jess cuddled up by the fire after helping Dean put down the Anasazi symbols._

 _"Yeah," Jess replied, "Not my first rodeo, remember?"_

 _"Right," Sam said, "Sorry, still getting use to the idea of you being a hunter. How did that happen anyway?"_

 _"You know how I told you my parents died when I twelve in a car accident?" Jess asked, "And a family friend took me in?"_

 _"Yeah," Sam replied, "Hank, right?"_

 _Jess nodded. "Well, it might not have been a car accident so much as a rampaging Rugraru the broke into the house," She continued, "And Hank might not have been a family friend so much as the hunter who arrived just in time to save me."_

 _"Oh my God," Was all Sam could say. He though it was awful when she told him the car story, but now..._

 _"He taught be everything I know," Jess went on to say, "And then, one day while when I was around seventeen, I nearly got killed on a job. No big deal, the cost doing business, but over the period of a couple of months there were a couple of other close calls, Hank couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't see me get hurt anymore, so one day he just leaves at a hotel with fake id and enough cash to keep me going until I figured out what I was going to do, so long as it wasn't hunting. Eventually I decided to go into nursing, I met you, and the rest is history."_

 _"So basically, you were forced out?" Sam asked._

 _Jess thought for minute. "Yeah," She eventually said, "Yeah, I guess you could say that."_

 _Before things could go any further, they were interrupted by the sound of screaming._

Lebanon Kansas

Present Day

"Okay, that makes sense, I think," Dean said, "Just one question." He turned to Sam and asked, "Unless you have anymore."

"No, I'm good," Sam said.

Dean turned back to the three people of the universe and asked, "Why would the angel want you dead?"

Jessica smiled wryly as she said, "That have to with me derailing both theirs and the demons' plans for the Apocalypse."

Maple, New York

2008

 _Sam groaned as he fought against the restraints on his wrist, chaining him to the bed. "Come on Jess," He called out, trying to reason with the woman in the next room, "You don't need to do this!"_

 _"Don't need to do this?!" She exclaimed, coming into view, "Don't need to do to do this?! Sam," She walked over to the bed, " You ran off on a flimsily lead, without my knowledge, no back-up-" She had to pause to pull herself together before continuing, "Sam, you could've got yourself killed. You almost_ did _get yourself killed. If you keep this up you_ will _get yourself, killed and how are you gonna help Dean, then, hun? You can't!"_

 _"What else am suppose to do, hun?" Sam seethed, "I can't just leave him down there, and I can't let Lilith get away with killing him."_

 _"You don't I want him back?!" She snapped back, "You don't think I want her dead as much you do?! But not at the cost of your life! " She couldn't take it anymore. She needed some air. She walked out of the room, leaving Sam to struggle against the cuffs._

 _Jessica stepped out into the front yard and took a deep breath in. She thought he blamed her sometimes. Hell, sometimes she'd blamed herself. After Jake killed Sam she had been in such hysterics that Bobby had to give her a sedative. After she woke up she had been doing okay, all things considered. At least until she saw Sam's body, then Bobby had to give her another sedative. Then she woke and Sam was alive again. Maybe if she had been stronger she could've stopped Dean from making that deal. Maybe if she would have been stronger he'd still be here, and Sam wouldn't be like this. But now he was, and Jess had no idea what to do. Every time she tried to reach out he'd push her away and take his self-destructive behavior up a notch. Jess ran her fingers through her hair, then pulled out her phone, just staring at it. She couldn't believe she was considering calling that demon girl, Ruby, especially after practically pushing her out the door the day before. She didn't know exactly what it was, maybe it was intuition, maybe it was because Ruby had been smoozing Jess ever since she started running interference between her and Sam, maybe it just her being too stubborn, maybe it was even unfounded jealously, but something just didn't sit right with her about that girl. Jess put the phone back into her pocket. No, she decided, no, whatever happened next they would handle it on their own, the two of them._

 _Jessica walked back into the house, a new, steely resolve in her. She opened up the cabinet, pulled out the kettle, and put some water in it._

 _Jess had gone back to check on Sam when she heard the kettle whistle. She took it off the stove, an pulled out a box of cream of wheat she had pursued a few days earlier. She prepared a bowl of it then went to the bed room where she locked up Sam, and sat down beside him._

 _"I thought you might be hungry," She said, scooping up a spoonful and holding it out to him. He just looked up at her, eyes filled with anger, chest heaving in rage._

 _"Look," Jessica said, "You can hate me if you want but I am going to get you through this in one piece or die trying, so open your mouth or I'll shove this down your throat."_

 _Seeing that she meant every word she was saying, Sam opened his mouth and let his well-intended captor feed him._

Iichster, Maryland

2009

 _There she was. After all this time, all this searching, all the terror, there she was. There was Lilith._

 _Her back was to Sam, as if she was looking at something on the altar. Perfect. Sam crept up behind her, readying the knife. Soon, there were mere inches separating them. Sam had the knife raised ready to bring it down into her back, when suddenly the door's burst open and a woman's voice screamed, "DON'T!"_

 _Both he and Lilith turned to see, to Sam's horror, Jess, who was suppose to be standing guard in case any other demon's showed up, standing in the doorway, looking horrified. "You can't kill her! Killing Lilith is the final seal!"_

 _"What?!" Sam exclaimed, not believing what he was hearing and not even sure of what he was hearing._

 _"Dean got snatched by the angels," Jessica began, "But he got away, and I just got off the phone with him. Apparently, this is what they wanted all along, and she-" Jessica was cut off as she was thrown against the wall and she felt her airway being cut off._

 _Sam turned to see Lilith preparing to give the death blow._

 _"No!" Sam shouted, starting to lunged at her again, but at the last minute, he pulled a flask of holy water out of his back pocket, and toss a healthy amount on her. As Lilith writhed in pain Sam turned back to Jessica, who was now freed, and Sam, "You were saying?"_

 _"Killing Lilith is the final seal," Jessica repeated, "Apparently she was the first demon Lucifer ever made, or something like that. And all the other seals have been broken so, if you do what you're about to do, you will let Satan out and the apocalypse will start."_

 _Sam just stood there a moment, processing everything Jess had just thrown at him. Lilith took that moment to pull herself together throw Jess against the wall again, raising her slowly, forcing Sam to act. Knowing now what Lilith wanted him to do, instead of stabbing her with the knife, he doused her with the rest of the holy water, with such force she fell to the grown. Then he turned his attention back to his wife, lying on the ground. "You alright?"_

 _"Yeah," Jess replied, standing to her feet, and whipping her palms on her jeans, "I think so."_

 _"So what now?" Sam asked._

 _Just then someone else burst through the doorway in a blur, and Dean shouted, "Sam, don't!" Then he looked around and saw that everything had came to stand still. "Oh. Looked like you're got everything under control."_

 _"We're just trying to figure out what to do about her," Jess replied, gesturing to Lilith, "I mean, we can't leave her to run amuck up here, but we can't kill her."_

 _"Well, we'll do what we'd always done," Dean replied, eyeing Lilith hatefully, "We send her back to Hell."_

 _The next three hours were the hardest of their lives. As one would expect, the first demon ever created the was by no means easy to exercise. She used what power she could from the devil's trap to attack them, trying to psyhcologicaly torture them as well to throw them off, and hurting her meatsuit that no way the human woman could survive once Lilith was gone. She even spit at them a couple of times. Plus they had no clue when the angels would track them now, and make sure the apocalypse_ did _happen. But eventually, Lilith went down to Hell in a whirl of thick milky white smoke, leaving the poor woman's corpse on the ground._

 _Exhausted and on edge, but somewhat relieved at the same time, the trio made a b-line for the Impala, and left that God-forsaken church in a cloud of dust._

 _They drove in silence for what seen like ages until finally Jessica spoke. "So, what do we do now?"_

 _"I have no idea," Sam said from his spot beside her, "Dean?"_

 _"Don't look at me," Dean replied from the driver's seat, "I'm not even sure where I'm going, I'm not even sure if it's over."_

 _"We stopped Lilith," Sam replied, "And managed not to kill her in the process, stopped the final seal from being broken."_

 _"Yeah, but what if she gets back out?" Jess pointed out, "I mean, does she have to start over again, or can she just pick up where she left off, or-" He looked to Dean expectdently._

 _"What, you think I know?" Dean responded."_

 _"Well, what did Cas say when he broke you out?" Jess asked._

 _"Just that killing Lilith was the final seal," Dean replied, "There wasn't time for anything else." Dean was quiet for a moment before he somberly said, "Anyway from what I got it had to be Sam to do it, so, now that he knows not to do that, we should be good."_

 _"Unless, you, know the angel's force him to do it," Jess replied._

 _The air grew heavy with the weight of the possibly. "Yeah," Dean said, "There's that."_

 _Suddenly Sam straightened up. "Hey," He said, taking Jessica's hand, "Whatever happens, we'll get though it like we've always done. Together."_

Lebanon Kansas

Present Day

"Wow," Dean said, "You guys have been through the wringer. I mean, so have we," He gestured between himself and his Sam, "But I think we can call it a tie."

"Yeah," Jess said, taking her Sam's hand and looking at him fondly, "I guess we have." After a second she turned to completely face him , saying, "Look, Sam, I'm sorry about everything I said. I didn't mean it."

"I'm sorry, too," Sam replied, "I should have at least considered your side of things."

"It's alright," Jess replied, leaning up for a kiss.

The other Sam and Dean turned to look at each other, both thinking, _"Did we just accidently save their marriage?"_

The Dean of the universe coughed awkwardly and said, "If you two love birds don't mind, we need to get these back to their own universe, don't you think?"

"Oh, don't worry, we're good," The other Dean said, "We got all the stuff we need right here, so all we need to do is put it together, say the spell, cross our fingers and hope for the best."

Once Sam and Dean got everything together and Sam opened the book to the marked page. "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

As the wind picked up there was the _clash_ of something falling, causing everyone to cringe.

"Like I said," Dean said before everything went white, "Cross your fingers."


	19. No Where To Run

When the light faded this time all the boys could see was the half a dozen angels blades. They slowly moved their eyes up to the angels holding them, a few who they recognized. All looked pissed.

"Stand down," A familiar gravelly voice said, sounding rather intense. Sure enough, as the other angels backed up, Castiel appeared, looking much better than the last time they saw him, also looking very pissed. "Get them up," He instructed, "Search them."

Two angels each held their arms behind their backs while two more frisked them. "Whoa, there, sweetheart," Dean said, as the female angel whose name he was trying to remember moved down his legs, "You wanna do that you have to buy me dinner first."

She snarled and purposely dug into his leg, sharp nails possibly breaking skin a little. Dean even let a small yelp.

"Rachel," Cas scolded. Rachel eased up, and finished her search then handed her findings to Castiel. Cas took the gun and two knives and walked over to a nearby wooden desk, and put it in one of the drawers. It was then the guys noticed that the desk and the chair behind it was the only thing in the room, which wasn't actually a room. It was a spacious off-white tent.

A scrappy-looking male angel with smooth brown hair walked up to Cas and handed off what he had gathered from Sam. Cas put them in the drawer along with Dean's weapons, and then started giving out orders. "I need to speak with these two in private," He said, then pointed to male angels, "You two wait outside in case something happens. Rachel?"

The angel walked over to Cas and he whispered something in her ear. "Of course," She replied to whatever he had said before joining the others exiting the tent.

Now it was just the three of them. Castiel stepped behind the desk briefly glancing down at the grown a moment, as if looking at something under it, then beckoned Sam and Dean over to him. "I have somewhere I have to be," He begin, his voice at its most threatening, "So you have five minutes to tell me who you are and how you materialized out of nowhere in the middle of my office, and why, and if I don't like the answer, or I think you're lying, more extreme measures will be taken."

A chill went down both their spines. Sam swallowed thickly. "Well, to start," He began, "Are you familiar with the names Sam and Dean Winchester?"

The angel glanced down at his desk again. "I'm familiar with them," He said, "What do they have to do with anything?"

"We're them," Sam answered, "From a parallel universe. There was this witch and she cast this spell that sent us spiraling through different parallel universes and we're just trying to get back to the one we belong in."

Suddenly Cas started studying Dean very closely, as if trying to ascertain some information. "That dinner thing applies to you, too," Dean said, starting to get nervous under such scrutiny.

"I'm actually surprised we're not somewhere around here," Sam continued, "Apparently part of the spell is that it parks to the closet familiar thing in that universe, which have usually been, well, us."

Again, possibly subconsciously, Castiel looked down at his desk again.

"Okay, why do you keep doing that?!" Dean snapped.

As if on cue, a soft moan came from under the desk. Sam and Dean's eyes both went to the floor, trying to see under the desk. "Ah, Cas," Dean began, "Is there someone under there?"


	20. A Lessers Of Evil

Before Cas could answer a little sleep-laced voice said, "Cas? What's going on?"

"Nothing, Dean," Castiel replied, crouching to talk to whoever was under the desk, "I was just talking to someone. He didn't realize you were under here."

"Nothing's wrong?" The Dean under the desk, who sounded rather young, asked.

Cas actually smiled a little, shaking his head. "No, nothing's wrong."

"Excuse me," A new voice said.

The three men turned their heads to see Gadreel, of all people sticking his head into the flap. "I was told you wanted to me to take Dean back to his tent."

"Yes," Castiel replied, standing up, then turned to face the desk and stuck his hand out to the boy under it. An slender, blue clad arm and reached out and grabbed onto the arm Cas offered, and pulled them self up, revealing a fresh-faced boy of nine, with Dean's light hair and green eyes, and few freckles doting his face hither and dither. He turned to the two men across the way and looked surprised to see the new faces. "Who-" Dean began.

"I'll explain later, I promise," Cas replied, gently pushing the boy towards the other angel, "Go with Gadreel."

Gadreel and Dean were about to leave when Cas eyed something under the desk. "Wait," He said, leaning under the desk and pulling out a plastic yellow truck. He walked over to the pair and put it in Dean's hands. "You almost forgot this." Then he ushered the pair out of the room.

There was a moment of silence after they left. "Okay," Dean said, "What was that about?"

"He must have got board and fallen asleep," Castiel replied, "That happens sometimes. Not as much as it did when he was younger, but, we can't have the most engaging conversations, just a lot strategic babble he can't understand."

"I wasn't talking about that," Dean replied, "I mean, why was he under your desk in the first place? Better yet, what is a human kid doing in the middle of what I can only assume is a army of angels? Why do you have an army of angels? I you've had an army before where we're from, but this is the first time there's been tents!"

"I promise I can explain everything," Castiel replied, calmly, "Things are very complicated here..."

 **River Town, Kansas**

 **1983**

 _The city roared with the sound of screams._

 _Somehow a cluster a demons had infiltrated, and were now running rampant in the streets, burning and killing._

 _Between trying to destroy humanity and fighting each other the angels hadn't been keeping the demons in check since the war began. Which meant on top of the angels trying wipe humanity off the face of the planet, and almost succeeding, demons were causing all sorts of mayhem just for the fun it._

 _Which was why was Mary Winchester was sitting in the house with a slat-riffle in her lap one eye on the door, the other two on her sleeping children. She wondered if this would be it. If this would be the time the city was destroyed, when they all were killed. Suddenly, a fierce rumbling shook everything around her, causing her to fall down, the gun dropping from her hands. "No," She whispered, raising to her feet. It had been over a year since the last angel attack and now they come down on them the same night demons break in?!_

 _Suddenly there was a loud wailing. The noise outside had woken up her infant son, Sam, and that wailing had woken up her older boy, Dean. Mary rushed over to them and picked up Sam, gently rocking him, her heart in throat. If they heard Sam crying, angel and demons alike, they would be on them in seconds. "Shush, shush," She whispered desperately, "It's alright. Hush now little one. Please stop crying." She gently bounced him and started to sing in a weak whisper, "Hey, Jude, don't let me down, take a sad song, and make it better..."_

 _Suddenly her door was kicked in, revealing two men and a girl eying them sadistically. Mary thrush Sam into his brother's arm and dived for the gun, only to be thrown against the wall. "Run!" She screamed at her eldest son, "Dean, run!"_

 _The boy leapt up and ran from the door, only to be grabbed up by one of the men, as he screamed and struggled to get away._

 _The other man turned to the one holding the children, sauntered over to them, giving the two young captives an apprising once-over._

 _"No!" Mary shouted, tears starting to fall down her face, "No!"_

 _"Don't worry, mom," The demon said, stroking Sam's face, "I'm not gonna hurt them, not yet least. I have a better idea."_

 _Mary kicked, trying to free herself, from the wall, but it was no use. Whatever this demon's "better idea" was she couldn't save her sons from it._

 _"But there's something else I have to deal with first," He said, turning back around to look at her flashing mustard-yellow eyes. He raised his hand to finish her off when there was sound of wings and metal running though flesh. The demon fell to the ground, revealing a man of average height dressed in tan, an intense look in his dark blue eyes. It was obvious to the trained eye that he was an angel. And nowadays every eye was trained._

 _The two other demons turned to run, the male demon still carrying Sam and Dean. The angel reached out in touched the back of the creature's head, and with a flash of light he fell to the grown._

 _Mary pulled herself off the floor and raced to her children, Dean meeting her halfway._

 _"Are they alright?" A gravelly voice spoke up._

 _Mary looked up to see the angel staring at them. If Mary didn't know better, she would have thought he was actually concerned. But she did know better. "Why do you care?"_

 _"There are still some good angels out there," The creature replied, gingerly approaching the mother and her sons._

 _Thinking fast, Mary pulled the blade from the demon's corpse and pointed at the angel. "Stay away," She said, an edge of steel in her voice now._

 _"I don't want to hurt you," The angel said making the mistake of taking a step forward, "I promise you-" His voice trailed off as the tip of his blade hit his tie._

 _"We both know that's not true," Mary said, her voice filled with the hatred a lifetime of fighting them had built up. Then hatred and anger turned to desperation. "Just let us go," She pleaded, "Just let me get out of here, and get my boys to safety."_

 _Just then two other figures appeared in the doorway, a man and a woman. The man had shortly clipped light brown hair. The woman's long blonde hair fell in a mass of waves. Around her neck were two beaded necklaces. They were both dressed more casually then the one she had at blade-point, put Mary was certain they were both angels, as they were coming to their comrade's aid. The male angel grabbed Mary from behind, trying to restrain her, but she was able to slip away, only to have the female angel grab her by the arm and try to get the blade away from her._

 _"Adina, no!" The dark-haired angel shouted, trying to get in-between the two. The other male angel made another grab at her. That was when a tiny voice shouted. "Leave Mommy alone!" Suddenly the room went silent as all eyes went down to Dean, still holding his squalling little brother in his arms, kicking his mother's attacker. The angel stared at the little boy, looking rather puzzled. Then, before anyone could do anything he reached down and grabbed the child by the wrist._

 _"No!" Mary cried, throwing herself at the angel attacking her child. Suddenly there was the flapping of wings and she felt like she was being tore into a thousand little pieces. Then just as suddenly as that had happened, she felt like she was being put together again. She looked up and saw that somehow she had been transported from the city to a clearing. Suddenly it dawned on her. Her boys, where were her boys?! Her head darted around franticly, and her eyes finally landed on them. Dean was bent over, puking. Whatever just happened had been too much for him._

 _Mary ran over to them and knelt down. She scooped up Sam from the ground where Dean had finally let go of him, and checked him for wounds. He hadn't stopped wailing this whole time , but was otherwise unharmed. Then she checked over Dean. "Are you okay, sweetie?" She asked. Dean nodded. She looked around for the angels who had brought them there. She saw them nearby all three running up to them. Mary grabbed her son and held them to her bosom, preparing for the end, when something unexpected happened. The dark-haired angel, the one that had saved them from the demons, turned around and pointed his blade at the other two angel, standing between them and the three humans like a shield. "Don't come any closer," He said, his voice somehow dropping another octave, "Or I swear I will kill you both."_

 _" You're actually choosing them over us?" The female, Adina seethed, a tone of disgust in her voice, "Over your own kind?"_

 _"I would like to point out I am not the one that put us in this situation," Her said, his eyes glaring at the other male angel, "What on Earth possessed you to take off with them?!"_

 _Before the other male could respond there were more beating wings. Another male angel, this one in a black suit appeared beside them, surprised and confused by the site that met them. "What's going on?" He asked, looking between the three angels, "Where are the others? And what are these humans doing here?"_

 _"Inias, there's been an incident," The dark-haired angel said, "Can you fly to city and get Anna?"_

 _Inias nodded, and suddenly disappeared. The three angels were left to stare each other down, but the Winchester's defender wouldn't budge. Suddenly Mary felt very grateful for his protection._

 _It took five minutes for Inias to return with a young woman with dark red hair. Mary guess that was Anna._

 _Anna looked horrified to see the three humans on the ground. "Please tell me those aren't who I think they are." She said._

 _"I don't know," The dark-haired angel said, pocketing his blade but still keeping himself between them and the other angels, "They haven't told us their names. Why? Are they important?"_

 _Anna gapped before saying, "They're only the wife and children of the leader of the city!"_

 _After they revelation the group ascended to an area a little ways from the clearing. There were a clusters of off-white cloth tents neatly set up._

 _"What is this place?" Mary asked, thoroughly confused. None of this was making any sense. Angels usually killed humans on sight, but in the past fifteen minutes, one had saved her life and her sons' lives, protected her against two of his own people, a fourth somehow knew who she was, now there was an empty settlement. This was not right._

 _"I'll explain everything Mrs. Winchester," Anna, who was apparently the leader of the pack, said, "But I have some other things to attend to first." She eyed the three angels involved in the incident harshly. "Inais take them to that tent," She said, pointing to a nearby tent, "Keep an eye on them the while I deal with these three."_

 _Inais took Mary by the arm and guided her to tent. Dean clung to her skirt and Sam was in her arms, his cry down to a whimper finally._

 _"You three with me," Anna commanded, marching the three to her office._

 _Anna slammed her hands on her desk, standing behind it while the three angels were on the other sides. "Can one of you please explain to me how the Hell this happened?!" She demanded, furious._

 _There was a moment of silence, the air thick with tension, when at last the dark-haired angel spoke. "It was my fault."_

 _All eyes in the room fell on him, shocked by the statement._

 _"I heard a commotion, so I went to investigate," He explained, "They were being attacked by demons, their leader was about to kill the woman, so I stabbed him, then smote the one that had the children. After that ... things got out of hand."_

 _"You think?!" Anna exclaimed. She started running her hands through her hair muttering to herself, "This was suppose to improve our relations with the humans and now..." She waved her hand at the other angel, "Go on."_

 _"The woman got my blade and turned it on me," He continued, "She just wanted me to let her go. At that point Adina and Daniel showed up, and a fight broke out. Somewhere in the chaos the older child started kicking Adina. I'm not sure what she intended to do, but she made a move towards him and the woman flung herself at her, then one of them, I'm not sure who took off with them, and I gave chase." He chased his eyes downwards, as if ashamed of what he had done._

 _Anna took a moment to think. "Okay," She said at last, "One thing I still don't understand, Cas. How was any of that your fault?"_

 _"I let the woman get my weapon," Cas said, sounding confused, like he didn't understand what about what happened she didn't understand, "If I hadn't let that happened we wouldn't be here."_

 _"No," Anna replied, "You just trying to do to what we were there for." She then turned her attention to Adina and Daniel. "You two on the other hand, attacked a small child, and when his mother tried to prevent it, kidnapped her, the child, and a baby, when you should of just pulled Cas out and ran for it!"_

 _"She attacked him!" Adina, pointing to Cas, looking for anyway to justify her actions, "And then-"_

 _"I don't want to hear it!" Anna cut her off, "I'm demoting you both." She gestured to Daniel and Adina with her fingers. "By how much, I'm not sure. Now go."_

 _Adina and Daniel left in stunned silence._

 _She then turned back to Cas. "Go relieve Inais," Anna instructed him, "I want you to take over guard duty for now."_

 _Cas nodded, then went towards the flap, but turned back to ask, "What are you going to do with them? The woman and her sons, I mean."_

 _"I don't know," Anna admitted, rubbing her forehead and closing her eyes, "I just-I need to get the others, and I need some time to think. Just keep them safe into I figure something out."_

 _The sun was coming up. While Mary couldn't see the sunrise, the change in lighting the tent let through was evidence that she had been up all night. Which would explain why she was so exhausted. Exhausted, cold, covered with blood splatter from where she had removed the blade from the demon's corpse, and terrified. But she had to hold it together for her sons. They just as could, just as frightened, just as exhausted, maybe more so._

 _She was walking back in forth in the tent rocking Sam, keeping an eye on Dean, who was standing in the corner of the tent. She noticed he had started shivering. She walked over to him and sat down. "Come here," She said as she pulled him close. His little hands felt ice cold._

 _Suddenly, she heard a brief exchange coming from outside. She went stiff, alert, but nothing happened. She still remained alert for some time, which was how she noticed the tent creep open a couple of times. She gripped her children a little closer each time, but no one came in._

 _Suddenly, the tent flap opened a bit larger and something fell through the gap. It Mary moment to recognize it as the coat the angel that saved them had been wearing._

 _Mary scurried over to it on her knees, scooped it up then turned back to her children. "Dean, get your brother and come here," She said, gesturing for him to come to her._

 _Dean picked Sam up and walked over to their mother awkwardly. "Here you go," She said, bundling them up in the coat._

 _By the end of the morning the boys had fallen asleep. Mary took the opportunity to think of a way to escape. There's was only one way in or out of the tent, and it was being guarded at all times. Apparently she and the boys were important to whatever their plans were. And she had no idea how many angels there actually were. She had only encountered four, but she had heard more landing earlier, and she couldn't tell how many. One angel was powerful, but several...they wouldn't stand a chance. But she did had one advantage though. The angel guarding them was the same one that had saved them from the demons. During their short time in captivity he had shown more compassion then she thought possible of his species. Perhaps she could turn him to be her alley, convince him to help her escape._

 _Suddenly the tent flapped opened up and the dark-haired angel appeared with a new, dark-skinned, stocky built angel at his side. "Anna wants to see you in her office," The dark-haired angel explained, "You need to go with him."_

 _Mary stood up, picking up the boys in their bundle._

 _"Just you," The stocky angel said, in an eerily even voice._

 _"I'm not leaving them." Mary replied._

 _"We're not giving you a choice," The stocky angel threatened._

 _"Uriel," The dark-haired angel warned. Then he turned his attention back to Mary his countence noticeably softening. "I'll watch over them until you return."_

 _Mary looked between the two angels for a minute and realized there was nothing she could do. She lowered herself back down, stood up again, and walked up to Uriel. Her grabbed roughly by the arm and lead her away taking an angel blade and putting it against her back as they walked away._

 _The walk way to Anna's "office" was mercifully short, and Mary found herself trusted into another tent, with the red-headed angel sitting behind a polished wood desk. Atop the test was a stack of clothes, and several items in jars or wrapped in foil._

 _"Thank you, Uriel," Anna said, standing up, "You can go now."_

 _The angel turned and left, more than happy to obey._

 _"I hope he wasn't too rough with you," Anna said. It was no secret that at best, Uriel felt humans inferior to angels, at worst, he hated them. Often Anna wondered why he even joined their cause. But, she was the only angel available to bring her._

 _"It's fine," Mary said, trying not to give anything away visually._

 _Anna picked up a bundle from the stacks of clothes."I had some of my people go out to the ruins and find some fresh clothes for you and your boys." She handed the clothes out to Mary, "Why don't you put these on, and then we can talk."_

 _The shirt was a bit too big and the shoes were a size too small, but Mary wasn't complaining. They were more protection against the cold November wind than her discarded night gown. "You clean up nice," Anna commented, once Mary had finished._

 _"Thank you," Mary replied, "Now you said you wanted to talk. How about we start why me and my sons are being held prisoner."_

 _"I can explain that," Anna replied, "You know how 28 years ago, angels came down to earth with orders to destroy humanity?"_

 _"Of course," Mary replied. How could she not? She had just been a child when it happened, but she could remember the day the Heavens opened up and rained holy Hell down on earth all too well. She and her parents barely got out of Lawrence alive. Most of the population of the town died._

 _"What you don't know is, that's not the whole story," Anna said, "Those orders were given by rouge Seraphs. The lower-ranking angels had no idea until it's too late. Unfornately the archangels weren't going to split those hairs, so everyone involved got banished." Anna stopped a moment to let that sink in. Then she continued. "But there were some of us who weren't going to take that lying down. Some of broke off from the other angels to stop the slaughter and try to find a way back home. I became the leader because, well, it was my idea."_

 _"But if you want to stop the killing why did you attack my city?" Mary asked._

 _"It wasn't an attack," Anna replied, "We found out some demons had attacked and I thought killing them might be a start to buy us some good will. Unforcunantely things didn't exactly go to plan." Anna paused, then went on, "I've been thinking about how to proceed from here all night, then I realized, we could use this incident to our advantage. As long we have you, your husband has to listen to us."_

 _Mary saw what was going on now. "So we're your hostages."_

 _"I don't like it anymore than you do," Anna replied, "But it's a necessary evil. One I hope we won't have to engage in for long. I've already arranged a parley at the river, you know the one I'm talking about?"_

 _Mary knew. The river that served as an unofficial border between the land around the city, and the badlands. If they were on the eastern side of the river, there was no hope of rescue. There only ways out was her to escape or for this parley to work._

 _"I'll bring you and the baby," And explained, "As proof that we actually have you and that you're unharmed, we work out a peace agreement, you go home, and all of this is a distance nightmare. It's as simple as that."_

 _"What about Dean?" Mary asked, "My older son? You only mentioned me and Sam."_

 _"I'll have to leave one of you in the camp as insurance," Anna said, almost apologicly, "Otherwise they could just come over the river and kill out representatives."_

 _As much as Mary hated to admit it, it was a good strategy. "I want to dark-hair angel to guard him," She demanded, "The one who saved us."_

 _"Castiel," Anna responded, "I can arrange that."_

 _Mary breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."_

 _Mary counted at least six angels that she hadn't seen before as Uriel escorted her back to the tent. She was counting, at least, until she saw that no one was standing outside the tent where they were being held._

 _"Castiel," Uriel called out, hurrying to the tent._

 _"Dean," Mary called at about the same time._

 _"Mommy!" A little voice called as Dean came into view, only to have two arms pulled him back, then Castiel came into view as well, holding onto the boy._

 _"Hey, there," Mary beamed scooping the boy up in her arms, "How long have you been up?"_

 _"Just a little bit," Dean replied, as Mary stepped back in to the tent._

 _"Now that your mother has returned may I leave?" Castiel asked._

 _Dean nodded. Despite their circumstances, Mary couldn't help but chuckle at the idea of four-year-old Dean commanding the movements of a mighty angel._

 _Uriel however, was not amused. "You let that runt keep you from your post?"_

 _"I went in because I heard the younger one crying," Cas explained as he walked back out, "I rendered him unconscious again, but then the crying woke Dean up and he wanted to me stay until his mother returned. He got very distressed if I tried to leave. In the end it was just easier to stay until you returned with her."_

 _Meanwhile in the tent, Mary gave Dean half of a freeze-dried something that she thought was meat and roused Sam to nurse. "Were you two alright here while I was gone?"_

 _Dean nodded._

 _She notice the tent flap peak open for moment, then quickly closed again._

 _"Why do you keep doing that?" Mary called out._

 _Silence._

 _"It know you keep peeking in here," Mary said, "Why?"_

 _The creature peaked his head back in. "I just," He began, "I just wanted to make sure you were alright."_

 _"We're as alright, as we can be," Mary said, "Thank you taking care of them for me."_

 _"I didn't do much," Castiel said, looking down, "I just stayed with them."_

 _"But still," Mary said, genuinely grateful, "Thank you." After moment she had an idea. "Do you have kids?" She asked, "I mean, do angels, do they have families?"_

 _"Our Father creature us as adults," Castiel replied, "And we don't age, and it is very hard to kill us so there is no need for us to reproduce."_

 _"Oh," Mary replied, "So that means my boys are the first children you've ever seen?"_

 _"Up close at least," Castiel admitted._

 _"So you were curious as well as concerned?" Mary questioned._

 _Castiel looked down again. "I'm sorry," He said._

 _"It's alright," Mary said, though she was a little uneasy about being spied on, but it wasn't her biggest worry at the moment. "Really."_

 _"I'm not just talking about that," Castiel said._

 _Suddenly Mary understood. Hey," She said sternly, "Look at me."_

 _The angel looked up, looking almost surprised._

 _"What happened was not your fault," She said firmly, "Those demons were going to kill us, probably after torturing us, and you did what you had to do. You couldn't control what your friends did."_

 _"That's what everyone keeps telling me," Castiel said, "But I just keep going it over in my head, trying to figure out what I could've gone differently."_

 _"And what have you come up with?" Mary asked._

 _Castiel was quiet a minute. "Nothing."_

 _"Well there you go." Mary replied._

 _There was silence again as she picked up some clothes and handed them to Dean, and then started undressing Sam._

 _Castiel began to leave, he really should be guarding from the outside, but suddenly his eyes and the young mother's met again._

 _"We will get you all home, Mary," He said intently, "I promise."_

 _To say that the negotiations the next day did not go well would be an understatement. The one thing John would not budge on was the one the angels would also not budge on: letting the angel stay in their camp permantely. John made it very clear that he did not believe their story, he refused to believe they were not interested in killing humans, so he was not going to give them a base of operations to do so. He had a duty to the people of the city, one of the last outpost humanity has, no matter the cost. So they tried again two days later when he had some time to think and confer with the other city leaders. After reviewing the terms that had been agreed to his still said no on that final point. This went on for a week. Then two weeks. Then three. If the city was planning any sort of rescue, they weren't letting on. Of course infiltrating an angel encampment would takes meticulous preparations, and even then it would be a suicide mission._

 _Knowing this Mary had been slowly putting her own plan into action. Endearing herself to Castiel was easy as he still felt guilty about the kidnapping, and they were in close proximity to each other. He had even grown fond of the little ones, Dean in particular, as he was babysitting him practically every other day during negotiations. Mary was certain that if she asked, if she made her case well enough, he would help them escape. But her plan had backfired somewhat as she was also very attached to him, and feared what would happened to him when they were discovered missing. Angels were known for their brutality, even towards their own kind, especially those who disobeyed. And despite their differences, there were ways these angels were no different than any other. And that was assuming the humans didn't kill him. Maybe she could convince the city leaders to grant him asylum in the city. Surely helping them escape would convince city leaders he was good._

 _Unfortunately Mary would never find out. Things would change before she could even try._

 _She was woken in the dead of the night by shouting from outside. She rushed to the tent to look outside, but a now very familiar arm stopped her. "Don't," Castiel commanded._

 _"What's going on?" She asked._

 _"I don't know," He replied, "Stay here until I get them." Then he pulled his blade from his coat and handed it to her. "Take this," He said, "You might need to defend yourself and your children."_

 _Mary turned back to the boys, who had also been awaken by the fracas outside, then turned around to fine Castiel gone._

 _As Castiel marched through the chaos around him, he finally caught sight of their commander. "Anna!" He called out racing over to her. "What's happening?"_

 _"Demons infiltrated the perimeter," Anna said briskly._

 _"How?" Cas asked, "What about the angels guarding the area?"_

 _"Dead," Anna replied, "All of them. And I'm getting reports of angels from the other side encroaching as well."_

 _Castiel's eyes widened. For the most part the other angels usually left them alone, and now they were attacking at the same time as demons?! "Do you think they're working together?"_

 _"Those guys would rather die than work with a demon," Anna said, "It's probably a coincidence, a horrible coincidence, one none the less." Then she against the group as a whole. "Defense positions!" Castiel was about to join the others, when Anna put an arm out in front of him to stop him. "Not you," She said, "I need you to get Mary and the boys and get them out of here."_

 _"Where should I take them?" Castiel asked._

 _"Anywhere," Anna replied, "The other side of the river if you have to. Just as long as they're out of the line of fire."_

 _That made Castiel realize how serious the situation was. He turned around and ran in the tent's direction. As he got closer, he heard Mary screaming, and saw Dean run out of the tent carrying Sam. "Stay there," He said quickly as he threw open the tent and saw Mary struggling with...Uriel. Taken aback for a moment, Cas froze, but then Uriel nicked Mary arm, and he snapped out of it, lunging at the other angel. Surprised, Uriel turned around, his face falling when he saw who it was._

 _"Mary, get out of here," Castiel, "Take take the boys and get out of the camp."_

 _Mary ran out of the tent._

 _"You're choosing them over us?" Uriel hissed, "Again?"_

 _"I came to get them because Anna ordered it," Castiel responded, "But what are you doing here?" Then Castiel remembered something. Something that made things clicked together to a conclusion he didn't want to believe, but there was no denying it: Uriel had been on guard duty that night. And all the angels on guard duty had been killed. That could only mean one thing._

 _Uriel had killed them._

 _"It was you," Castiel said, "You killed the others, you're the reason the opposition is here." Castiel paused a minute, before saying, "Have you been their spy the whole time?"_

 _"No," Uriel said, "Not the whole time. But shortly after we split from the others, some higher angels still with our superiors came to me, and made me realize they had a point. I mean, think about it Castiel, how long have we been playing this game by rules that don't make sense? All for what? For humanity? For this winning, puking lava?"_

 _"So you spied on them for us," Castiel concluded, swallowing the betrayal he was feeling, "But why attack now?"_

 _"Anna started negotiating with the remaining humans." Uriel answers._

 _"Negotiations that were going nowhere," Castiel argued._

 _"But Anna was going to try a new strategy," Uriel replied, "Purpose an alliance with the humans. You have to admit, they've getting pretty good at killing us."_

 _"That might have something to do with us killing them in the billions." Castiel replied._

 _There was moment of tense silence, then Castiel spoke up, "So, what happens now?"_

 _"Join me," Uriel said, "I've made preparations for you. All will be forgiven. Please, brother, don't fight me. Help me. Help all of us. Don't you see? We have the force to destroy the rest of these abortions, bring these traitors to heel, and eventually, force our way back into Heaven."_

 _"Do you hear yourself?" Castiel replied, "Even if you could slaughter all the humans, all of us, Heaven still has the numbers."_

 _Uriel stood there a moment, his face expressionless. "Well, then," He said at last, "I guess I have no choice."_

 _"Neither do I," Castiel replied._

 _Uriel charged, but Castiel punched, so far it sent him into the side of the tent, raising the stakes out of the ground, causing the tent to collapse. Uriel was tangled up in the tent. Castiel stood above him, ready to end it, but he froze. He and Uriel had been comrades, friends for thousands of years, and now it came to this. He also realized that Mary still had his blade._

 _It was enough time for Uriel to get the jump on him. He punched Cas in the face and kept clobbering him. Cas had just gone down waiting for the death when suddenly light flashed from Uriel's eyes and mouth and he feel to the ground, revealing Mary, standing there, holding the blade Cas had given her. "Come on," She said, helping him to his feet, "Let's get out of here."_

 _"I thought that was what I told you to do," Cas said as the ran across the compound._

 _"I couldn't leave you there," Mary argued, "So I got the kids out and came back."_

 _"Where are they?" Castiel asked, "We can get there faster if we fly."_

 _"At the river bank," Mary replied and as soon as she got the words out Castiel's arm was around her waist and he took off with her._

 _When they landed at the river the first thing they heard was an infant's high-pitched wail. They found Sam on his back, kicking, and failing his arms under a nearby bush._

 _And Dean was nowhere to be found._

 _"Dean!" Mary shouted, running to the tree she had left her boys under, looking around franticly. Suddenly Cas's eyes landed on a set of footprints. "Mary," He said "Over here."_

 _Mary hurried to where Castiel was standing and saw them too. A pair of footprints much too large for Dean to make running into the forest, and there was something else as well. The scent of sulfur was heavy in the air._

 _"No," Mary, nearly fallen to her knees before Cas caught her, "Oh, God, no."_

 _"He might still be alive," He said, letting go of Mary and officially reclaiming his blade. "Stay here with Sam until I return."_

 _"No." Mary said, "It's my son."_

 _"And I promise that if he's still out there I will bring him back," Cas replied sternly, "Just stay with your other son."_

 _Mary knew he was right, so she didn't argue as he walked off._

 _Castiel followed the tracks for at least a mile into the woods, fearing what he would find at their end. His fears were all but confirmed when a child's scream broke the quiet of the night. He ran towards the scream soon came to a slender figure, standing in front of a smaller silhouette, stretched out between two trees. Just then the moonlight hit them just right so Cas could clearly see the silhouette was Dean tied between the two trees, a lie of blood trickling down his chest._

 _"Please stop," Dean whimpered, "It hurts."_

 _Suddenly Castiel was filled with rage. He leapt at the demon, tackling him to the ground. He turned him around, wanting to see this monster's face when he killed him. When he saw who it was, he was shocked._

 _"What is a high-ranking demon doing taking the time torture a child?" Castiel growled. It wasn't so much that he thought it was above this demon, rather, he would have other things he needed to do._

 _"We have to have a bit of fun sometimes," The demon sneered in a lisp._

 _The angel was even angrier than he was a second before, something he didn't believe possible. He wanted to make this demon suffer. Like he had made Dean suffer. Worst, even. He punched the demon, then punched him on the opposite side of his face. "Is that all you got?" The demon mocked._

 _"Not even close," Castiel said, pulling out his blade, ready to cut the demon, when he head quiet sobbing. He turned to see Dean, who staring at them, wide-eyed, tears streaming down his face._

 _"Dean," Castiel began, "Close your eyes." He figured the child had been traumatized enough for one day._

 _Once Dean did as he was told Castiel turned back to the demon and plugged his blade into the creature's chest. He let out a few struggled gurgled breaths, then he was gone._

 _Castiel then ran over to Dean untying his bounds. "Where are you hurt?"_

 _Dean pointed to the long cut along his chest and then a bloody wound over his left eyebrow._

 _"Nowhere else?" Castiel asked._

 _Dean shook his head._

 _The demon must not have had that much time with him, or just spent most of the time tying him to the trees._

 _Castiel set to work healing Dean's wounds. "I tried to stay there like Mommy told us to," Dean sobbed, "But then that man came. I hid Sammy in a bush but the man picked he up and..." Dean let out another sob, "I didn't want to go with him-I didn't..."_

 _"Ssssh," Castiel soothed, wiping away the tears on Dean face before straightening out his tattered shirt, "I know, Dean. I know. It's alright." He kissed him on the forehead, "Let's get you back to your mother." Then he gently but a finger to the child's forehead, rendering him asleep._

 _It felt as if hours had pasted as Castiel trekked through the woods back to river. He had never felt weary before, but so far, he wasn't liking the feeling._

 _As they got closer to the river he heard screaming. He picked up his feet and began running as fast as he could. He bush threw the forest, franticly looked around, but couldn't see Mary anywhere. Then she heard he shout again and his eyes landed across the river. Mary was struggling with two men and one woman on the human side of the river._

 _Of course. The humans had seen the chaos and decided to take advantage of it._

 _"Get off of me!" Mary screamed, wrenching herself from them. "Cas!"_

 _Gripping tight to Dean, Castiel took off, reappearing on the human side of the river. Immediately the three humans that dragged Mary across the river pulled their guns._

 _"No, don't!" Mary shouted._

 _"Mary," Cas spoke up, "It's all right." Then he attempted to hand Dean off to Mary._

 _That might had been the end of it if one of the soldiers wasn't a rookie, all of eighteen, who had never been this close to angel in his life. The kid panicked and fired._

 _"No!" Mary shouted, grabbing his wrist and fighting him for the gun._

 _On intsict Castiel took off, not thinking about the fact that he was still holding Dean. As he landed, he blacked out. When he came too, the sun has risen, he was face down and lost hold of Dean. His eyes landed on him a few feet away, now awake and confused._

 _"Dean," He said hurrying to his feet and hurrying over to the boy, "Are you alright?"_

 _"I-I think so," The little boy replied, "What happened?"_

 _Before Castiel could explain he heard someone shouting his name. He looked to see Inias, and Gadreel an angel that shown with some story about breaking out of Heaven's prison a month back._

 _"We're been looking everywhere for you," Inias said, "We were beginning to think..."_

 _"Anna had me gets the humans away from the battle," Castiel explained, "It got a little... complicated."_

 _"What does that..." Gadreel began, then his voice trailed off and his eyes widened, "Castiel, you're bleeding!"_

 _Castiel turned to the shoulder Gadreel was staring at realized that blood was gushing from it. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in it._

 _"Come on," Inias said, rushing over to Castiel and throwing one of his arm over his shoulder, "Let's get you to the others. Gadreel, take the boy."_

 _"Is Cas going to be okay?" Dean asked, and Gadreel picked him up, not knowing how transport something so small._

 _"Of course he will," Gadreel said, hopping he wasn't lying._

 _As the bullet was being removed from his shoulder, Castiel told the others everything that happened._

 _"So Uriel betrayed us," Inais said, "I wish I could be surprised. Do you know if there were any others? Traitors, I mean?"_

 _"He didn't say," Cas replied, as Rachel heeled the wound in shoulder_

 _"How did that bullet pierce his shoulder?" Gadreel spoke up._

 _"I actually think it might be made from the same material as our blades," Rachel replied, holding up the bullet when and examine expression, "I heard rumors that humans had found a way to melt them down, but I never thought it was true."_

 _"With all due respect, I don't think that's the most important thing right down," Cas said, pulling his shirt back over his shoulder, "I need to talk to Anna, tell her everything that's happen."_

 _Suddenly the others exchanged a somber look._

 _"What?" Castiel said, a feeling of dread coming over him, "What is it? What's happened?"_

 _There was another moment of silence, then Inais swallowed and begin to speak. "Anna's gone. Her body was found in the aftermath, a blade run through it. I'm sorry. I know you two were close."_

 _"No," Cas said, shaking his head, "No."_

 _"I wish it wasn't true," Inias said, "But it is."_

 _Castiel felt like screaming. He had lost of lot of friends in this war, but something about this time made him feel like he was about to snap into. He could even feel tears forming in his eyes. He wiped them away before anyone saw and said, "So, what now?"_

 _"We have the box she always said we should open if anything happened to her," Inias replied, "The one that had her wishes for the movement. We're going to gather everyone and open it." Inias paused a minute and added, "We wondering if, maybe you would do it."_

 _Castiel paused a moment, it was as if his mouth refused to move. Finally he opened it. "I'll do it."_

 _Two hours later everyone was gathered in the center of the forest. All eyes were on Castiel as he solemnly opened an nondescript wooden box. In the box was set of printing paper covered in Enochian characters. "I am Anna, an Angel of The Lord, former Captain of the garrison the watched over the earth and current Commander of the angels that wish harmony with humans, if you are reading this..." Castiel had paused a minute before he go on, "Then I'm dead. I'm alright with that go, as long I went down swinging. The only thing I'm really worried about is this thing falling apart without me, which why I'm leaving this. First off, so you all don't fall apart due to in-fighting, I'm assigning your new leader myself." Castiel froze as he read the name on the paper. For a second everything froze. "Inais," He said, holding out the paper, "Would you come up and read this so they known I'm not making this up?"_

 _Stricken by the statement, Inais hurried up to the front of the crowd. He took the paper from Cas and instantly knew why he was so shocked after reading the name. He looked from the paper and back at Castiel. "It's you."_

 _After that came out there was small upset, but it was quickly calmed down and they accepted Anna's decision. Castiel finished reading her will and immediately set to task of salvaging what was left of their forces. It was his job now after all. He had them move as far away from their old camp as possible to evade the other angels' forces. It took a day and a half to move a set up what remained of their camp, they did it. When it was done Castiel snuck away from the camp to the confines of the nearby forest He needed to talk to Mary._

 _She was dreaming of a meadow. One she use to play in when she was a child. Before the angels destroyed it. "Mary," A deep familiar spoke from behind her. She turned around to see a now very familiar man standing there. "Cas..." She began before trailing off._

 _"This is a dream," He explained, "Angels, we can come to people in their dreams. I wanted to come to you before now, but this my first chance. I don't need to tell you we have things to discuss."_

 _"Where's Dean?" Mary asked immediately, "Is he alright? Is he hurt?"_

 _"He's fine," Castiel replied, "He misses you and wants to know where you are, but he's safe and unharmed." He decided not to mention that Dean was only unharmed after he healed his wounds._

 _"What about you?" Mary said, "Did they blame you for me getting away?"_

 _"No," Cas replied, "They understand I was only fallowing Anna's orders and things spiraled out of control from there. But that's not important right now. What's important is getting Dean back to you. I think after what happened we can say me actually coming to city isn't an option. We had to move the camp but I can fly there pretty quickly. We could meet at the river and I could hand him over to you."_

 _Mary shook her head. "That won't work," She said, "John's convinced you've brainwashed me, that I have Stockholm Syrome or something. He's been keeping me under lock and key since I got back. There's no way for me to meet you."_

 _Castiel started scrambling for another solution. "Then I can fly into the city with Dean." Castiel suggested._

 _"No," Mary said firmly, "You'd be shot on sight." Tears welled in her eyes. The situation seemed truly hopeless._

 _Castiel gently cupped Mary's cheek in his hand. "I'll get Dean home," He vowed, "I promise. I don't know how but I will. And until then I will keep him safe."_

 _"Thank you," Mary said, her voice barely avoid a whisper._

 _The next day Castiel was sitting at Anna's desk, now his he supposed, surrounded half a dozen angels, trying to sort two dozen or so things. He noticed the tent flap open, Gadreel standing in the open space. Which was odd considering that Castiel had ordered him to watch Dean so no one bothered the child and he didn't hurt himself. As he turned to look at the other angel he saw Dean was in his arms, tears staining his face._

 _"Come in," Castiel said, standing up._

 _"He was wailing for you," Gadreel explained, eyeing everyone around him anxiously, "I couldn't bear it, but I didn't know..."_

 _"It's alright, Gadreel," Castiel replied, taking Dean from him, "I'll take care of this." Then he looked down at Dean, who was gripping to him for Dean life. "What's wrong?"_

 _"I want to stay with you," Dean wined._

 _"I'd loved for you to stay with me," Cas replied, "But I have work I need to do."_

 _"But I wanna stay with you," Dean moaned, burying his head into the angel's chest._

 _Castiel was at lost for a moment. Dean hardly ever behaved like this. But, he had, had a rough few days. "Alright," Castiel said, "You may stay under my desk while I work but on one condition."_

 _Dean looked up._

 _"From now on, when I leave you with Gadreel you have to be good for him like you had to be good for me when your mother left with Anna," Cas commanded, "Is that clear?"_

 _Dean nodded._

 _"Good." Castiel said then sat Dean on the ground. Dean scurried beneath the desk and started playing with the little truck that had been in his pocket._

 _Satisfied, Castiel set back to work. He thought back to the time when Mary asked him if had any children. Now he did._

 **Unnamed Forrest**

 **Present Day**

"I've been trying to keep my promise to Mary ever since," Castiel finished, "Nothing I tried work. I carried him over the river, but there was no other humans around, and he's too young to make it his own. I've brought him right up to gates and been attacked before I could even explained. Dean got hurt once. I've even tried going to John's dreams and talking to him directly. We set up a time to meet, but he sent his men instead. Before they saw Dean they started shooting at me." He stood up and pulled up his shirt, revealing old bullets wound on his stomach.

Both Sam and Dean couldn't help but cringe.

"Dean got grazed by one of the bullet," Cas continued, "So you see why this meeting is so important."

"Meeting with whom?" Dean asked.

A Seraph named Naomi," Castiel elaborated, "She's the head of Heaven's intelligence division. Apparently resources have been stretched a bit thin since the incidents, to the point where they can't get things done. So now they're willing to hear us out."

"That means you can all get back into Heaven?" Sam asked.

"And I can return Dean to his real family," Cas added.

"How?" Dean asked, not seeing what possible connection the two could possibly have.

"They have...resources I don't," Cas explained, "Things that could help me return Dean without bloodshed."

Neither of the brothers said anything for a moment. "I see," Dean said after a little. He had to admit, it made sense. Cas wasn't gonna risk the angels in command getting killed for a personal mission. But then again, trying to get Dean back on his own was not going well. It hadn't been going well for five years. If this meeting work out, it could fix both problems.

"I should have left five minutes ago," Castiel said suddenly, standing up, "How long will it take you to do that spell?"

"About a minute to get everything together," Sam replied, "Then another to say the spell. You don't actually have to be here."

"I don't exactly feel comfortable leaving you two alone," Cas replied.  
"Look, we promise not to burn down the tent or anything like that," Dean spoke up, "Just-the sooner we get out of here, the better for everyone evolved, okay?"

Cas was silent for a minute. "Alright," He relented, heading for the tent exit, "I'll make sure you aren't bothered."

Before Cas was out of the tent Dean and Sam were working on the spell. It didn't take long for everything to be close together, less than a minute, actually. Since he was the closest to it Dean picked up the book and read the spell. " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind started blowing and the poles holding up the tents started to rattle, threatening to cause the tent to collapse.

"Well," Dean said, shrugging, "It's _not_ catching fire."


	21. The Barn

When the white faded this time, all they could see was darkness. As their vision focused, they could see that some light came through, and they could make out shapes. It looked like they were in some kind of stable. They righted themselves, shaking the straw off. Suddenly they hear voices. Tense, angry voices.

"Dean, if you don't leave now, they're going to catch up with you, they're going to find you and they're going to kill you or worst." A female voice was saying.

"Look at him," Dean shot back, "He can't be moved, and I'm not leaving him."

"Dean, if you don't go everything he's did everything we've all done will be for nothing!" The girl argued.

"If you two don't keep it down you're going to wake _him_ up!" Sam's voice snapped at them.

"Too late," A raspy deep voice spoke up, "Dean you need to listen to her. Just leave me here. I'll only slow you down."

"Is that...?" The Dean in the stable begin.

"I think it is," The Sam in the stable replied.

"Seriously?" Dean whispered, "Again?" Was it just him or did in every other universe he factored into, Castiel was really fragile?

Just then they hear the Dean of the universe again. "Cas, no. We're staying here until you get better, or at least better enough for transport."

"Dean look at me," Cas reasoned, his voice still weak, "I'm not going to get better. I'm only going to get worst and quickly."

"It's just a little pneumonia," Dean replied, "You can kick its but."

"Maybe if I was angel," Cas replied, sounding as if it pained him to talk, "If I was angel I wouldn't even have gotten sick in the first place but now-" He took in a wheezed breath, "We both have to face the fact that I am not long for this world." As if to drive the point home he started a coughing fit that was painful to even hear.

From their hiding spot in the stable, both Sam and Dean winced.

"Then I'm not letting you die alone," The Dean of the universe replied, agony in his voice.

"Better then you dying with me," Cas pleaded.

Then there was a sound of footsteps heading in the direction of the stable.

"Where are you going?" Sam's voice called out.

"Away from here!" The female voice shot back, "I'll come back when your brother's a little more reasonable."

Sam and Dean tried to duck down in the straw as the young passed, but that backfired as she caught the movement out of the corner of her eye, turning to face the stable. She pulled a gun from her side and kicked opened the stable.

"Ah, Jo," Sam from that universe spoke up, "What are you doing?"

"Someone's in here," Jo explained, aiming her gun in-between the two in the stable, "I saw something move." Then she began to address them directly. "I know you're in here," She said, "Come out with your hands up and maybe nobody has to get hurt."

Seeing no way out, Sam and Dean put their hands over their heads and stood up.

"What the Hell?" Jo exclaimed, "Dean! Sam! get over here!"

The two walked over to the stable. "What the Hell?!" That universe's Dean repeated, balking.

"If you give us a moment we can explain everything," Sam said, "We were hunting this which, it she did this spell that sent us to a parallel universe and now we're just trying to get back to ours but we keep landing in the wrong universe."

"We really need to make a recording of that speech," Dean added, mostly to himself.

Jo, that universe's Sam, and that universe's Dean exchanged a series of looks, silently discussing whether or not to believe them.

"It's plausible," Castiel's voice suddenly rasped, "There are a few different spells to send people to a different universe."

"Alright," Dean said, officially buying it, "Do you have the stuff for the spells? There's some crap that's gonna go down here sometime soon and trust me you two don't want to be here when it happens."

"Oh, so now you're admitting you're in danger if you stay here?" Jo spoke up.

"No," Dean said, "I'm just saying if shit does hit the fan the last thing we need is our doubles running around."

"Actually," Sam spoke up, "I think it's the first thing we need."

All eyes turned to that universe's Sam. "What does _that_ mean?" Jo asked.

Sam looked back to an area of the barn they couldn't see, turned back to the group and said, "Can I see you all outside for a minute?"

Not bothering to answer everyone hurried outside. "Okay, without getting into too much detail, there are some people who are trying to track us down and kill us, or possible do other equally horrible things to us," Sam explained.

"We got that from what we overheard," The other Sam said.

"Then you also got that Dean doesn't want to leave because-" His voice trailed off a minute before saying, "Cas caught pneumonia, and it's-it's pretty bad, he didn't have any anti-bodies and for some reason any anti-bodies his vessel had aren't kicking in, and we couldn't get him any anti-bodics, not before things got too far along at least and now-"

"You don't want him dying alone," Dean finished for him. If the roles were reversed, he'd probably be just as suborn as his parallel universe counterpart was being.

"I don't see what they have to with any of -" Jo began, then he eyes lit us and she exclaimed, "Oh, Sam, that's brilliant!"

"What's brilliant," Dean asked, one of the three still not getting it.

"These two go," Jo explained, gesturing between her Sam and Dean, "And you two stat in their place."


	22. The Good Lie

**AN: Quick warning, character death ahead. In fact, the next few chapters are going to be depressing.**

"Excuse me?" Sam spoke up, still confused.

"I got people coming up here tonight to get these two," Jo explained, pointing to her Sam and Dean with her thumb, "If they don't go with them tonight, and I don't when we can get them back out here, and by then the people out to get them will probably have caught up, which is why I want them out of here, but they don't want to leave Cas to die alone on the dirty floor of some barn and I don't blame them for that. You, for all insensitive purpose are Sam and Dean."

Now they were both starting to get it. "You want us to stay here and pretend to be them," Sam concluded.

His other universe counterpart nodded.

"Would that even work?" The Dean of the universe said.

"I don't see why it wouldn't," The universe's Sam replied, "It's not like he's going to quiz them."

"It still doesn't feel right," Dean said, "We'd basically be lying to him."

"It'll be for everyone's own good," Jo reasoned.

Sam and Dean had both said that line before. It never worked out well. But, this didn't seem like one of those instances. "We're willing to do it," Dean said, "I don't think a couple of days would make that much difference with the spell."

"It might not even take that long," Jo said.

"Then why can't we just wait to leave?!" The Dean of the universe demanded.

"Because they'll find you for sure if you don't !" Jo shouted.

"That does it!" The other Dean exclaimed, wanting some answers. "Who the Hell is they?"

"Everyone," Jo answered, "Everything."

 **Van Nuys, California**

 **2009**

 _"Look at me!" Dean grabbed Castiel by the shoulder and turned him to face him. He was going to listen to what Dean had to say, and he was going to look at him while doing it. "You know it! You were gonna help me once, weren't you? You were gonna warn me about all this before they dragged you back to Bible camp. Help me- now. Please."_

 _Cas wanted to. Dean had no idea how much he wanted to. "What would you have me do?"_

 _"Get me to Sam," Dean answered, "We can stop this before it's too late."_

 _"I do that, we'll all be hunted," Cas replied, trying to empathize the point, "We'll all be killed."_

 _"If there is anything worth dying for..."Dean began, "This is it."_

 _Castiel shook his head and looked down. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't do what Dean was asking him._

 _"You spineless..." Dean began as he turned and walked away, utterly disgusted, ...soulless son of a bitch. What do you care about dying? You're already dead. We're done."_

 _Something inside the angel felt like it was breaking. "Dean-"_

 _"We're done!" Dean repeated coldly._

 _Castiel was about to leave when something inside him snapped inside. He grabbed Dean by both arms and flew as fast as he could._

 _They landed in-between an old abandoned church and Sam and Ruby. The two pairs stared at each other for a moment, then Dean found himself being slung across the ground into the wall of the church._

 _"Sam!" Ruby shouted, "I get your pissed, but don't exert yourself!" She needed him at full power._

 _"Come to kill me, have you?!" Sam shouted marching up to Dean._

 _"What?" Dean said, still getting over the shock from the collision and the person who caused it. "No. I just-"_

 _"You said it yourself, Dean!" Sam said, pulling Dean up by the collar, "There's no going back." Sam pouch Dean as hard as he could in his face._

 _"Sam wait-" Dean began, but before he could go on he felt the sting of Sam's fist impacting with his right cheek and jaw. Dean braced himself for a third punch but instead was greeted with the sound of a body fallen to the ground. He opened his eyes to find Cas standing over Sam's unconscious form. "I'm sorry that I took so long," He said, "She tried to stop me." He gestured with his head to where Ruby had been._

 _Dean turned to find Ruby's body with her eyes burnt out._

 _Cas pulled Sam up, supporting the taller man's weight. "We don't have much time until they track us down," He said, "We need to go."_

 _They found safety in a motel room about fifty miles away. Sam didn't wake the whole time._

 _"You sure he's alright?" Dean asked, finishing the last of the warding. Between the two of them he and Cas had put enough scribble on the walls that neither angel or demon could find them if one was right across the street, and they were definitely going to lose the deposit on the room._

 _"All I did was render him unconscious," Cas replied, not turning away from the sigil he was making, "I don't know why he's not awake yet, unless he injured his head when he fell."_

 _Dean gave Sam the once over and didn't see any obvious injuries. "Anyway," Dean said, walking over to Cas, "I think I know what he was talking about while he was beating me up." Dean took Sam's phone and replayed the last message on his voice mail. "Listen to me, you bloodsucking freak. Dad always said I'd have to save you or kill you. Well, I'm giving you fair warning. I'm done trying to save you. You're a monster Sam-a vampire. You're not you anymore. And there's no going back."_

 _Cas's eyes widened as the message beeped. "I thought you wanted to help Sam," He said, "I thought that was the whole reason you wanted out."_

 _"It was!" Dean replied, "It is. That's not the message I sent. The message I sent said we were still brothers, no matter how bad it got we were still brothers, I even said I was sorry. Ruby must have changed it somehow. Or your ex-boss. Or they did it together, at this point anything is possible."_

 _"It's highly unlikely Zachariah would work closely with a demon," Castiel replied, "But as you say, anything is possible."_

 _"Apparently," A voice behind them said._

 _The pair turned around and saw Sam sitting upright on the bed._

 _"How much have you heard?" Dean asked._

 _"Most of it," Sam admitted, "I still thought you wanted to kill me so I was pretending to be asleep until I thought of a plan. Then I heard what you said, and..." Sam voice trailed off, not knowing what else to say._

 _"The fact I didn't kill while you were knocked out wasn't enough proof?" Dean responded._

 _Sam looked down, because that was actually a good point, now that he thought of it._

 _"Dean, clearly your brother is not in his right mind right now," Cas spoke up. At last he thought Sam wasn't in his right mind. He had only known Sam like this, so he wasn't sure what Sam in his right mind looked like._

 _"But I'm getting back to it," Sam said, "So could someone please explain to me what is going on?"_

 _Dean and Castiel sat down and explained to him the events of the past 24 hours that he was unaware of._

 _"So the angels weren't really trying to stop the apocalypse?" Sam asked, trying to wrap his head around everything that was happening, "They were letting seals get broken on purpose?"_

 _"Apparently," Dean said._

 _"But they still let me go after Lilith because killing her was the final seal?" Sam asked._

 _"Yes," Cas replied._

 _"But then why did you try to warn Dean about what I was doing?" Sam asked, "I mean, even before I went after Lilith?"_

 _"Because at first I thought we were actually trying to stop that apocalypse," Cas explained, "I only found this out recently myself. As to why my superiors would want Dean to know, the best reason I could think of is that maybe they thought it would make him desperate enough to go along with whatever we said. Which for a while, it did."_

 _"Oh my God," Sam said, as everything was stinking it, "You two hadn't shown up when you did...even five minutes later...I would've..."_

 _"Sam, it's alright," Dean said, putting a reassuring hand on Sam's shoulder, "We got there in time, you didn't do anything, it's over now."_

 _"But what about Lilith?" Sam asked, "She's still topside. Can't they just have someone else kill her and we'll be right back where we started?"_

 _"They likely won't chance it not working," Castiel replied, "What is more likely they'll track us all down and force you to break the last seal. Or kill us all. Or both."_

 _"Great," Dean said," Just great."_

 **McDowell Farm, Indiana**

 **Present Day**

"We've been running ever since," Dean said, "Whenever the angels let up, the demons decide they want a piece of the action, and when the demons give up, the angels decided they haven't made our lives enough of a living Hell, and sometime when the universe really loves us, we get both as once. We've tried beating them to the punch, taking the fight to them but...that didn't go too well," The mourning looks that pasted briefly through the trio's faces made the other Sam and Dean wonder who all they had lost, "So we move around a lot, and sometimes we even get people like Jo to help us stay under the radar. Except on the way here Cas got separated from us and wound up stranded in the snow for over an hour. It turned what had been a cold into pneumonia. The nearest doctor's office is three hours away by car. I tied hitch-hiking and nearly got taken out a demon, and this place nearly got blown. By the time we got him what he needed, it was too late. We keep pumping him full of anti-biotic, but it isn't working. It's just...prolonging his suffering." Out of nowhere he let out an almost primal scream, and punched the wall of the barn. The whole area seemed to resonate with the sound of his aguish.

"I'm so sorry," The other Dean said. He was suddenly grateful for the way things turned out in their own universe. Then it occurred to him that they had it just as bad their universe, but in a different way. Still, it didn't meant what was going on here any less relevant. "If there was anything we could do-"

"There isn't," Dean replied coldly.

"Except for what I've already said." Sam added.

After persuading that universe's Dean to go alone with the plan, Jo ushered the other set of Winchesters into the barn. "He's over there," Jo said pointing to the corner. Cas was curled up on a bare mattress, covered with a stained blanket. His eyes were closed and he wasn't moving.

"Is he..." Sam began.

"No," The ex-angel rasped, "I'm alive, but barely."

"I guess I don't have to ask you how you're doing," Dean said as he and Sam walked over to the mattress and sat on the ground.

"No," Cas said, even managing to smile a little, for Dean's sake. "Where's..."

"Other us?" Dean asked, "They just left."

"Really?" Cas questioned, "That fast?"

"Yeah," Dean replied, "It was a very simple spell."

"That's funny," Cas replied, "From what I know spells like this, they're never simple. There's usually, at least, five ingredients, more depending on the spell."

"Well," Dean said, searching for an explanation, "They were pretty fast at putting it together, I think they had done this once or twice, or-eight times."

It was silence for a moment then Cas said, "Thanks for trying. I didn't hear everything, but I got what was going on. You got the Sam and Dean to leave, but only if you stayed in their place."

Sam and Dean exchanged awkward glances then Dean said, "Alright, it's a fair cop. It's Sam's idea-your Sam, I mean. "

The ex-angel smiled. "Thank you."

"For what?" Dean replied, "Lying to you?"

"For getting them go," Cas explained, " Like I said, I know I don't have long left, and I didn't want them to be found, because I-because I-" He burst into another coughing fit.

Dean rushed over and propped Castiel up, supporting all the weight on his own as the fallen angel was too weak to even hold himself up. "It's alright," Dean said, lowering Cas back down when he was done, "I got you."

"You should probably go," Cas said, "If angels or demons show up, they won't give you time to explain. We'd all be doomed."

"No chance," Dean said, wrapping his hand in Cas', "We have promises to keep. We're staying right here."

The next five hours were torture . All they could do was watch as Cas slowly faded away, not even trying to hang on. There wasn't a need to anymore. They could see Jo peeking into the bar everyone in a while, not wanting to leave them alone, but not wanting to intrude.

"We see you," Sam called out at last, "It's okay, you can come in."

Jo walked in awkwardly, as if she felt she didn't belong there. "How is he?"

"Not good," Sam replied, "He probably doesn't have much longer."

Cas' eyes went to up where the female hunter was staring. "Jo..."

"Yeah," She replied, rushing over to the mattress and falling at the dying man's side.

"Can you tell Sam and Dean-our Sam and Dean-something for me when you see them again?" He asked.

"Sure," Jo said, her voice cracking some.

"Can you...tell...them...I said...goodbye?" Cas asked.

Jo nodded, tears wailing up in her eyes.

"Thank you," Castiel said, closing his eyes, "For everything." That was the last thing he ever spoke, and within seconds he breathed his last.

Dean slowly let go of his friend's hand. Sam let out a shutter, and tears were streaming down Jo's face. She whipped them away somewhat, and stood up, saying, "I need to burn his body; would you-" She couldn't finish what she was saying. She didn't why she was acting like this. It wasn't like she hadn't seen anyone die before, and she barely knew this guy, but she was still wrecked.

"Let us help you," Dean offered. He could tell that she was in no state to do this on her own.

"No, you've done enough for us for us already," Jo said.

"Look, Jo," Sam said, "If the roles were reverse, you'd so the same for us. "

They rolled the body up in a cotton trap and put it on top a pillar they constructed outside. Jo pulled out a lighter, then looking at the pillar said, "Should we ...say something?"

"I have an idea," He held out his hand as a way of asking for the lighter. Jo put it in the palm of his hand.

"I gotta hand it to you Cas," Dean said, "I know this may not see like the most appealing version of events, but you saved a lot of lives, I think," He glanced over at Jo, then looked back at the pier. "I know of at least one." Then lit the fire.

For a while they watched the fire burn in silence.

"So," Sam said at last, "What are you gonna do now?"

"I found a job somewhere up North," Jo replied, "I'm gonna head up there once this fire burns down. You?"

"Cross our fingers we get the right universe this time," Sam replied.

"Yeah," Dean said, "This is getting old."

As the fire died down, Sam and Dean went back into the barn and solemnly set to work preparing the spell. Dean took a solemn glance at the empty mattress nearby before beginning, "Skicka dessa fiender ..."


	23. Bad Moon Rising

When the light faded things were a little different this time. They were in a room with faded lighting, grey walls with darker grey veining. The only thing in the room was an old-fashioned, cast-iron bed painted white, and a rather bewildered young woman her grey eyes wide and wild with panic.

What was different was they didn't recognize her. They literally had no clue who she was or how she was connected to them. Another thing was there was a shackle around her ankle, changing her to the bed.

Dean opened his mouth to enquire about it, but before he could the young woman let out a primal scream, charging at them. They were both able to jump out of the way, and the length of the chain forced her to come to an abrupt halt. She turned on her heel staring back at what she had exposed.

Sitting on the bed, a grey woolen blanket over his shoulders, was a little boy who couldn't have been more than three, was staring at them, his brown eyes as wide as mother's.

"Hey, there little guy," Dean began, taking a few steps gingerly towards the bed.

This time the girl was able to reach out and smack Dean before he could get the next words out of his mouth as she screamed, "Get the Hell away from him!"

Sam was managed to grab onto the woman who struggled in his hold.

"Mommy!" The little boy shouted.

"Run!" The woman shouted, "Don't look back, just run!"

The toddler clambered to get off the bed, almost falling off it, but Dean caught him, as Sam covered his mother mouth to stifle another scream.

"Miss, it's okay," Sam said in a low voice, "We're not going to hurt you, or your son. You're completely safe."

Before Sam could finish the sentence the woman stiffened and Dean could see a look of shock on her face. Sam let her go and she turned to look at him. "Oh my God," She gasped, "It's you." She took her pale hand out and touched his face. "It's really you. "

Sam suddenly didn't like where this was going.

"H-how-how is this even possible?" The woman asked.

"Look, miss," Sam said, "I'm not the...me...you know..."

"Huh, Sam," Dean spoke up suddenly, "I just noticed something."

"What?" Sam asked.

"This kid kinda looks like you."


	24. The Year

**AN: Due to a lot of stuff going on this holiday weekend, I'm updating early because otherwise I might not get chance. Sorry, about the cliffhanger, most of it will come together next week. Also, happy Thanksgiving everybody!**

Dean was right. The boy had his mother's amber hair and never-saw-sunlight pale skin, but his eyes were Sam's and he had a mix and his and her features.

Sam was so surprised he let the woman -a woman who he apparently had a child with-go.

Dean held the child in his arms out for his mother to take which she did, instantly turning back to Sam. "Look Sammy, " She told the boy , "it's your father."

The boy squinted his eyes, giving Sam a suspicious look. Well, as suspicious as a kid his age could. "I thought you said he wasn't. That he just looked like him."

The woman turned to look to her son. "Because that...man does just look like him." She turned back to Sam, with a weary but triumphant smile. "But this isn't that man. I don't know no why, and I don't know how, but this is your father."

Sam's heart broke. Whatever was going on here this woman was clearly in a bad situation, otherwise she wouldn't be chained to a bed with a young child and now by sheer accident they were giving her false hope, toying with her. It was cruel. And, though they had no part in it, Sam hated himself. "Ms, I'm sorry," Sam said, "But I'm not...I'm not your Sam."

At the woman looked confused and scared. "Then what...what is this?"

"Is there," Dean spoke up, "Anyway we can talk alone? Without the kid?"

"Sure," The woman said, making a show of shaking her chain as she continued, "Let's just step outside!"

"Okay, okay," Dean replied, stepping back before she could get violent again.

"Is there anywhere he could wait?" Sam suggested, "I mean, he's not chained."

"Honey can you stay in the bathroom while I talk to these two?"

And so, after the woman laid the blanket on the floor of the dingy half-bathroom attached to the room, she put her son on it, gave him a mohair bear and a small ball, and shut the door. "Be quick," She said, turning around "Someone could be by any minute."

"I am Sam," Sam began, feeling he should take this one, "And this is my brother Dean, but we're from another universe. There was a witch, and she did a spell that sent us through other universes, and they only way to get back is to keep performing the spell until we find the right one."

"Makes enough sense as anything else in our life," The woman sighed, her joy a few minutes completely gone.

"I'm sorry," Sam said, "If there's anything else we can do, maybe get that chain off your leg..."

The woman chuckled bitterly, "I'm sorry, Sam, but that wouldn't help. Even if I could get out of this," she held the shackled leg out for them to see, "There's literally an army of demons outside led by the Devil himself who have a very good reason to keep me here."

That didn't sound good. Something connected in Dean's mind. "Hey, what is this place?"

"Jackson County Sanitarium," The woman said.

"What about the year?" Dean asked.

"It's a little hard to keep extract track in here," The woman replied, "But around 2014."

"Dean," Sam spoke up, "What are you getting at?"

Dean took Sam to the side. "Okay, you know how Zachariah dropped me in a 2014 where we didn't stop the apocalypse back before we actually stopped the apocalypse?"

"Somewhat," Sam said, "Why?"

"Because I think we're in it right now," Dean replied.


	25. The End From The Other Side

"What are you two going on about?" The woman snapped.

"Okay, in our universe, there was this angel, Zachariah," Dean explained, "When the Apocalypse started he dropped me in a future version of 2014 where everything had gone to Hell, pun intended. Sam had said yes to Lucifer, and I was a right bastard who sacrificed his friends on suicide mission that it turns out wouldn't have even worked. While the way things worked out in our universe stopped that from happened, but I guess in this one it's still valid."

"You really think," Sam began, "That this is that same universe?"

"Think about, Sam," Dean said, "I never did find out why you said yes in that 2014, and if we hadn't got back together neither of us would've known about the rings probably, and," he pointed back to the woman who's name they still didn't know, "That right there is some good incentive." He turned around to look at the woman, "Have I got it about right?"

"Yeah," The woman said, "You got it about right."

 **Wild Bull, Alabama**

 **2009**

 _The familiar found of screams woke Sam from a deep slumber. He fell out of the bed then jumped up, ready for a fight, when he realized the sound was coming from outside. Barely taking time to arm himself he ran out to find a woman in a waitress uniform struggling with three men._

 _"Get the Hell off of me!" She screamed elbowing one of the in the face._

 _"Come on, sweetheart," One of the men oiled, "We're just having a little fun."_

 _"Hey!" Sam shouted, gaining the men's attention, "Get away from her!"_

 _All three of the men turned to look at him. "Well, well, well," The apparent leader said, before his eyes flashed black, "Look what we have here. Finish up with the girl, boys. We got other things to deal with."_

 _The one who had a hold on the young woman pulled the knife, but before he could use it she kicked him the groin causing him to step back in pain, letting her go. Seizing the opportunity, she rushed away._

 _"Go!" Sam shouted as she ran past her, though he had a feeling she was one step ahead of him._

 _"So," The lead demon said, "You gonna make it easy on us?"_

 _"What do you think?" Sam seethed._

 _"Alright then," The lead demon said, "Go get him boys. But remember, boss needs him in one piece."_

 _The demons rushed Sam but he was too fast, ducking out of their grasp. e really wished he had brought a stronger weapon out with him. All he was the sliver blade in hand and a flask of holy water in his pocket. Making do, he tossed it on them and ran back into his room to gather his resources._

 _Sam threw some salt in the doorway to replace the line he had broken when he rushed out when he rushed out when he rushed out when he rushed out when he rushed out. Right now he really wish he had the knife, but it was with Dean. All he could do was trap them and figure something out._

 _He had just pulled a rug back over the Devil's trap he had made on the floor earlier that evening, as his demonic pursuers crashed in, and he felt himself being flung across the room. The demons began to walk towards him when they found themselves unable to move._

 _Despite the direness of the situation, Sam couldn't help but smile a little in satisfaction._

 _" That won't save you Winchester," The lead demon seethed, "Count how many of us there are."_

 _Sam did and his heart sank when he counted three demons in the devil's trap._

 _There had been four before._

 _"Figured you were gonna try something like this," The lead demon continued, "So we sent one a head to let everyone know where you were. Now all there is to do now is wait."_

 _Sam struggled against the mental hold the demons had on him when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. It was the demon the others had sent, crawling along the ground. Or at least he was assuming it was the demon because he had several pieces of metal sticking out from its body and it was still moving. The burns around the wound made Sam assume the spikes were iron, which was why the demon hadn't smoked out yet. From behind came the maid they had attacked, her blue uniform dotted with blood splatter. She held a finger up to her lips, signaling for him to be quiet._

 _Sam remained silent, but his eyes were completely focused on her as stabbed a pole through the lead demon, causing the other two to panic. Distracted, they let go of Sam causing him to fall to the floor, from with he quickly stood up and ran for the door, grabbing the maid's arm as he did, wanting to get her out of there for fear of retribution on her._

 _"Where are we going?!" The young woman shouted, trying to pull away._

 _"Away from here!" Sam replied, jumping into the car with her. The woman slid over to the shotgun side and Sam gunned the ignition._

 _They drove in silence for a half hour before Sam finally asked, "You got a name?"_

 _She looked stunned for a moment then started laughing hysterically._

 _"Are you okay?" Sam asked, really concerned now._

 _"Yeah," The young woman laughed, "I'm find it's just... first," She pointed to Sam, "You save me from those freaks, which thanks for that, then I have to save you from them because they somehow have you pinned up against the wall, then you basically kidnap me, and now suddenly you want to know my name!" She started laughing hysterically again._

 _Sam was starting to under if the evenings events had caused her to have some kind of nervous breakdown._

 _"Don't worry, I'll be fine," She said, as if reading his mind. "It's Nash, by the way."_

 _"Ah, excuse me?" Sam asked, confused._

 _"My name's Nash," She repeated, "I know, weird name, right?"_

 _"Kind of," Sam admitted._

 _"It's short for Natasha," She explained, putting a hand on her nameplate, which Sam hadn't thought to look at._

 _After a few seconds of silence Nash spoke up again. "What were those things back there? I mean they looked human, but...but they weren't. What they were able to do to you, what it took to bring them down and...look I know this sound crazy, but I swear I saw the one I stabbed's eyes go black, like completely black, the iris, the white, all of it."_

 _"I believe you," Sam said._

 _"Then do you have any idea what the Hell they are?" Nash demanded._

 _"I know exactly what they are," Sam replied, "You might want to prepare yourself for this."_

 _"Listen, ah..." Nash's voice trailed off, realizing she didn't know his name either._

 _"Sam," He said._

 _"Sam," Nash repeated, "After what just happened, nothing you could tell me would shock me."_

 _"They were demons," Sam came out with it._

 _Despite her earlier statement, Nash's eyes widened a bit. "Demons?" She replied._

 _Sam nodded._

 _"Demons, demons?" Nash asked, "As in fire and brimstone, fallen angel, agents of Satan, demons?"_

 _"Well, you got two out of three right," Sam replied, "They're no angels."_

 _"Okay," Nash said, not believing this was really happening, "Skipping the part where I try to deny what just happened, why'd they go after you? I mean, I get that demons are probably into wanton destruction for its own sake, but the minute they saw you...it was like a heat-seeking missile or something."_

 _Sam took a minute to gather his bearings then said, "They sort of...need me for...this battle."_

 _"What battle?" Nash asked._

 _"The battle of Armageddon," Sam replied._

 _And so Sam explained everything to her. The apocalypse, Lucifer, everything._

 _After Sam had finished, the car became silent, Nash sitting silent, ramrod-straight and bug-eyed. "Wow."_

 _"That's one way to put it," Sam responded._

 _"Wow," Nash repeated, "I mean...what?"_

 _"Please, don't make me say all that again," Sam requested._

 _"That's alright I got it, it's just...a lot to take in," Nash said, "And what about you? I mean, are you just gonna keep...running for the rest of your life?"_

 _"No, I have a plan," Sam said, "There's this gun that can kill anything. If I can find that it might be a way to stop this."_

 _"Do you know where it is?" Nash asked._

 _"Not exactly," Sam admitted._

 _"Do you have any clues?" Nash asked._

 _"I was in the process of looking for them when I...disturbed," Sam said._

 _"Well," Nash seethed, "That's just great." Then she fell back in the car seat._

 _"What about?" Sam asked, "Where you go from here?"_

 _"No clue," Nash replied, "I can't go back to the motel because those monsters are probably waiting for me, but I have no were else to go, and on top of that now I'm probably on Satan's shit list."_

 _"Well, technically all of mankind is on his shit list, but you've probably moved yourself up," Sam said._

 _"Yeah, that's not very comforting," Nash said, then she turned her head towards Sam and said, "Hey, do you think maybe I could tag along with you? "_

 _"I'm not sure if that's the best idea..."Sam began._

 _"Look, I just found out about the supernatural," Nash reminded him, "I've been thrust into a brave new world, that you're the expert on. And from the looks of it, you could use the help."_

 _Sam had to admit, she caught on quick, and had handled herself pretty good with that demon back there, at least for an rookie. And she was probably right about the demons coming after her. At least this way he could try to protect her._

 _"Okay," Sam said, "You can stay. On one condition: you do everything that I tell you, too, alright?"_

 _"I can live with that," Nash replied, "I hope."_

 **Tucson, Arizona**

 **Two Months Later**

 _Nash leapt from the car, slamming the door, not caring about the onlookers staring at her blood-spattered form._

 _"Please don't be like that," Sam pleaded-equally coated with blood and equally as uncaring as he ran after her._

 _"What the Hell were you thinking?!" Nash demanded, not even turning around to face him as she walked into the motel room, "Using yourself as bait like that?! That was the stupidest, most bone-headed thing I've ever seen!"_

 _"Look, I get that I should have told you," Sam admitted, "And I know it was bad idea-"_

 _Nash swirled around to face him. "Do you?" She spat, "Do you, Sam? Do you realize that we are the only thing standing between the world and total destruction?"_

 _"I'm not the only thing," Sam replied, "Dean's out there too, and he's fighting-"_

 _"And how is that working for him?" Nash demanded, "Do you even known?! And even if it wasn't that, if they were to get you to say yes, we're halfway there! And I if I lost you I don't know what I would-I would-" Tears were welling up in her eyes now and she suddenly couldn't think of what to say. Suddenly she was lunging at him, and her lips met his in an awkward, but passionate kiss._

 _Sam was monetarily stunned. He wasn't really sure what happening. It was enough time for Nash to consider what she had just done and that possibly Sam didn't feel the same way. Nash couldn't blame him. They had only known each other for two months, and she wasn't sure if what she felt was genuine love or attraction enduced by the threat of ever-looming death. How could she expect Sam to?_

 _"I'm sorry," Nash, before turning around and heading towards the door. Sam grabbed her by the arm and turned her around, planting a kiss on her lips._

 _Now it was Nash's turn to be stunned. "Really?" She asked._

 _"Yeah," Sam replied._

 _Suddenly Nash started giggling._

 _"What?" Sam asked._

 _"We have some sucky timing," She replied._

 _Sam had to admit, the middle of Apocalypse was the not the time or the place to start a relationship. But this was the only time they had._

 **Detroit, Michigan**

 **Six And Half Months Later**

 _"So...this is it?" Nash asked, putting the gun back and forth between her hands._

 _"Yeah, that's it," Sam replied._

 _"I guess I expecting something...I don't know bigger, or shinier, or something that says magical gun that can kill literally anything and everything." She replied._

 _"It can still get the job, done." Sam said, taking back the gun._

 _"And you're sure Satan is in this building?" Nash asked_

 _"As sure as I can be." Sam said._

 _"That's not very reassuring," Nash said, "Especially with the plan being Satan will just let us in and then we'll shoot him before he can try to stop us."_

 _"First off, there's no us, only me," Sam said, "You'll be waiting in the car behind the wheel ready to go. Second, it will work. Trust me." Sam lent down and kissed. "Now, let's get going." He added, before heading for the door._

 _Nash stood up for the bed, then said, "Hey can you wait for me outside for a second. I have to use the bathroom."_

 _"You just used the bathroom a few minutes ago," Sam smiled, "Is there something wrong with your bladder or something?"_

 _"We're going up against the devil and I kind of have a nervous bladder," Nash replied._

 _Sam huffed good-naturedly. "All-right, I'll be in the car." Then he left the room._

 _Nash hurried to the bathroom making sure to lock the door behind her. Then she opened the bathroom counter and pulled out the test she had taken while Sam was out. It read in blue letters :_ Pregnant.

 _The first time she read that Nash fell to her needs. Couldn't believe this was happening. How did it happen? They always used protection. She supposed it didn't matter now; it had happened._

 _How could they raise a child in this world? They couldn't. She had no idea what they would do. She hadn't even told Sam yet. And now they weren't about to go up against Satan himself..._

 _That was when it hit her...the Apocalypse could over by this time tomorrow. All she would have to is make sure nothing happened to the baby for one day, tell Sam tomorrow, and they would be in the clear. Making the decision, she rushed outside._

 _"Ready?" Sam asked, as Nash jumped into the driver's seat._

 _"As ready as I'll ever be," Nash ask cautiously putting her hand on her stomach._

 _Fifteen minutes Nash pulled up to a decrepit building in a community of decrepit buildings. "You sure this is the place?"_

 _As if cue, two demons and business suits stepped out front._

 _"Yeah," Sam said, "I'm sure." As he stepped out of the car he added, "And remember, if I'm not back in a half hour-"_

 _"I know, I know," Nash said, "Get the Hell out of Dodge."_

 _"And remember," Sam reminded her, "You promised."_

 _Okay, okay," Nash said, "Now get out there before they realize something's up."_

 _Sam stepped forward to face the demons. "I want to talk to your boss."_

 _Sam was lead to a freezing cold room on the second floor. Lucifer was facing a frozen-over window. "Sorry it's a bit chilly," The fallen angel said, "Most people think I burn hot. But it's actually quite the opposite. Then he turned around, his face covered with red scars. "Help me understand something, Sam. I mean, stopping through my front door is...a tad suicidal, don't you think?"_

 _"Would be," Sam admitted, pulling the colt from his jacket before anyone could react, "If I didn't have this." Taking advantage of the extra bullets he had been given, he shot both the demons who escorted him into the room dead. Then he shot Lucifer, point blank in the head._

 _The world was silent for a moment. Sam turned around expecting a barrage of angry demons to be on him in seconds. However no one was there. He took a step to leave when he heard someone behind him inhale. He turned around to find Lucifer sitting up. "Owww..." He said before standing, "Where did you get that?"_

 _"How are you..." Sam's voice trailed off._

 _"Alive?" Lucifer finished, "Don't feel too bad, Sam. There's only five things in all of creation that, that gun can't kill, and I just happen to be one of them. But as long you're here, there are some things we should talk about."_

 _Sam looked around for some source of escape, but he knew it was hopeless. He knew going in that it this back-fired he was as good as dead, or worse. He braced himself to dragged off to be tortured until he either said yes or died, whichever came first. He sincerely hopped the latter._

 _"No, not like that," Lucifer, said, as if reading Sam's mine, "I have something better in mind."_

 _It was then Nash's voice started echoing through the halls. "No! Get off of me! Get! Off! Of! Me!" Terror seeped through her usual defiance._

 _"No," Sam whispered, "Please, no."_

 _Three demons dragged Nash in kicking and screaming. Sam tried to run towards them, but suddenly found himself frozen in place._

 _"Don't worry Sam," Lucifer, "I'm not gonna hurt her. Not yet, anyway. Set her down boys."_

 _The demons released her from their grasp, and she rushed towards Sam. "I'm sorry," She whispered, as he took her in his arms._

 _"Now leave us," Lucifer commanded, and the demons left the room without any hesitation._

 _"Let her go," Sam demanded, "She has nothing to do with this."_

 _"Oh, I don't believe that Sam," Lucifer said, "See, you accidently left a survivor a few months back from what I heard your, um, lady friend here is quite the demon hunter. She can stab and burn with the best of them. I honestly expected more trouble from her." He reach out and stroked her cheek as he added, "And she's quite pretty, too."_

 _Nash pulled away in disgust, wrapping her arm around her waist. She should have told Sam. They would've figured something else out, some other way to do this that was less risky. And now all three of them were going to dies because of her._

 _"Hold on a minute," Lucifer mused, grabbing the arm around her waist and dragging her away from Sam._

 _"No!" Sam shouted trying to go after them but with flick of the wrist Lucifer flung him against the wall._

 _"Just need to test a theory here," He said in an eerily clam voice, then he put a hand on Nash's stomach. She thought she was gonna sick. She didn't want this monster anywhere near her baby. Suddenly Lucifer's eyes lit up. "Ah," He said, "That explains a lot."_

 _"What?!" Sam called out struggling to get free._

 _Lucifer relapsed Sam from his hold and turned Nash around so she was facing her lover. "Why don't you tell Sam the good news, darling," Lucifer hushed._

 _Nash's eyes were shining now with unshed tears. "I'm pregnant," She sobbed._

 _Suddenly the world went still for Sam with the shock. "Oh, my God," He breathed._

 _"I'm sorry," She wept, "I just found out, I didn't know what to do." She didn't know why she was saying this, it was hardly the most important thing right now. There was just so much she wanted him to know before the end, and she didn't know where to start._

 _"This is all really interesting," Lucifer said, pacing behind Nash, "But I have more important issues to deal with, so-" He flicked his wrist and Nash's neck snapped, and she fell to the floor._

 _"No!" Sam cried out, rushing to the woman he loved and cradling her in his arms. The woman who was carrying his child. Both of which were now dead in his arms._

 _"What a shame," Lucifer, said nonchalantly, "Of course, she doesn't have to stay dead. I could bring them back. Bring them both back."_

 _Sam looked up a minute, a stupid glimmer of hope fighting against his despair and rage. Then he realized this offer was going to come with price._

 _"Of course, there's have to be a small concession on your part," Lucifer confirmed his suspicions._

 _"Let me guess," Sam said, his voice filled with rage, "I have to say yes."_

 _"Well, that's a little to the point, but basically," Lucifer said, "Yes."_

 _Sam looked down into Nash's eyes. They had been so full of life, but now they were dead. There was a voice in his head screaming that she wouldn't want him to take the offer, but that part was overwhelmed by the part that just wanted her back. "You have to bring them back first," Sam seethed. He didn't trust Lucifer to hold up his end of the barging once he was inside Sam._

 _"Sam," Lucifer gasped, seeming almost indignant, "I'm hurt. You really don't trust me, do you?"_

 _Sam's silence was his answer._

 _Lucifer sighed. "Very well." He snapped his finger and Nash jolted up, gasping. She looked surprised, breathing too heavily to speak. "What's happening?"_

 _"Don't worry," Lucifer said, as he watched Sam help her upright, "The little one's find as well."_

 _Nash turned to look at Sam, visibly horrified as she put it all together. "Sam what did you do?"_

 _"I'm sorry," Sam said._

 _"Boys," Lucifer called and five demons entered the room._

 _"Take Sam's lady friend and put her somewhere comfortable," Lucifer, "And she's not to be harmed. I need her alive."_

 _The demons quickly marched over to the lovers and scooped Nash up. "No," She said, struggling against, them as they dragged her out of the room, "No! No! Sam!"_

 _Sam turned around and tried to stand up, but felt himself pinned to the ground by an invisible force. It eased up once they had her out of sight. He could still here her voice echo down the hall, calling out for him. "Where are they taking her?"_

 _"Don't worry," Lucifer said, "As long as you hold up your end she won't be harmed. I just want a little insurance while we prepare you."_

 _"Alright," Sam said, realizing he was trapped and resolved to do whatever it took to protect Nash and the baby, "Let's get on with this."_

 _Several hours later Nash was pacing in the small room where she was being kept, as best as she could pace with her wrist and ankles wrapped in shackles connected by chains to a ring that had been screwed into the floor. Hearing movement, outside, she turned to face it, ready for the worst, then saw her boyfriend standing in the doorway._

 _"Sam," She said, feeling a thrill of hope as she ran towards him, but then she looked into his eyes and she knew it wasn't Sam. "No," Nash moaned, shaking her head," No. He wouldn't. He wouldn't do it."_

 _"Oh, but he did," Lucifer said, walking towards her, "All for you. And the little squirt, of course." He poked her stomach and Nash jumped back and fell to her knees. All was silent for a moment. She looked up at the Archangel with hatred in her eyes. "Go on, then," Nash seethed, "Just get it over with."_

 _Lucifer knelt down. "That's not how this is going to work. Because," He cupped his captive's cheek, "As long as I have you, I have him."_

 **Kansas City, Missouri**

 **August 7th 2014**

"Lucifer moved the operation here after that, set me up here," Nash finished, "Nine months later Samuel was born, and I think you can guess the rest."

They could. "So as long as he has you and the kid Sam stays in line," Dean declared.

"Oh, my God," Sam said, "I'm so sorry this happened to you. I there was anything we could do to help-"

"Actually," Dean spoke up, an idea forming in his mind, "I think there is."


	26. Breakout

Sam got the ingredients for the spell as Den managed to scrape up a pencil and a piece of paper and he and Nash combined their knowledge of the sanitarium's layout and resources to forge an escape plan.

"Okay, so you said, there are usually four guards on this floor?" Dean asked.

"Yep," Nash confirmed, "All for me and Sam." She unconsciously looked over to her son, who was playing with his little ball on the blanket. "We're high-value prisoners, you might say. I'm not sure where they're all at today. I'm also not sure how many guards they got on the other floors."

"That's why, I'm going behind you with this," Dean said, flashing the demon-killing knife that he just happened to have on him when they went after Little Tree. He was really glad he did now. "If they come after you, I'll get them."

Nash looked back at her son again. "Maybe this is isn't a good idea," She said, turning back to Dean, "I mean, it's okay if they killed me, I stopped caring about that a long time ago, but if it's not just my life on the line here."

Dean looked over to little Sam, then back to his mother. "Look," Dean began firmly, "I know you're worried for Sam's safety, but do you want him to keep living like this? A prisoner? You really want this to be the only life he ever knows?"

Nash's eyes went around the room. She knew Dean was right. Death was better than this. Hell, if she had ever got her hands on some sort of weapon, she would have probably found the strength to quickly dispatch her son and do herself in. "Okay," She breathed, "So where's this camp?"

"A few hours' drive from here, probably at least a day on foot," Dean replied, "There's a more detailed map to it on the back, but I drew it straight from memory, so we're just going to have to hope I remembered it right." He turned the paper over to the side with the map on it. "It's almost a given that they'll take you in." He wasn't sure how this 2014 self would react to discovering he had nephew, but he would jump at the information she had.

"So," Nash said, "We ready to do this thing?"

"Just about," Dean confirmed, "Just one more thing." He pulled out a paper clip from his pocket and started working at the lock in the shackle on Nash's ankle.

"You know," Sam spoke up, finished with the spell prep, "Maybe I should go with her instead of you. If we run into any demons they'd just think I was Lucifer and I could say I needed them for something."

"Nice thought," Nash replied, "But it wouldn't work. Lucifer has certain mannerisms you don't that are quite-"

"Creepy?" Dean finished.

"Exactly," Nash said, "It's like he doesn't know how to work his, or rather Sam's face."

"I know right," Dean let out a shiver, " _That_ I remember clear as day."

"I know, right?" Nash replied, "I mean, it's bad enough, that he has to stop by here and psychologically torture me and confuse the Hell out of Sam from time to time ,but he has to do it with that look? "

Just then they head the mechanism click open. Nash took the shackle in her hands and slowly pulled it open, until it was off her leg. After so many years with it on, it felt weird to not weird its weight on her ankle. It felt lose, and lighter, so much lighter. It had left a burse-like mark around her ankle, but that was all that was left. She slowly set her feet on the cold floor and raise herself off the bed. She took her first steps slowly, then she ran to the doorway, which the chain never reached. "Oh, my God," She breathed in disbelief, "This is really happening!" Joyous, overwhelmed tears were staring to fall from her eyes. After three years she was free. She couldn't believe this was really happening. She was afraid she was going to wake up and this was all going to be some bizarre, cruel dream.

"Why are you crying, Mommy?" Little Sam asked, noticing the commotion all around him.

Nash hurried over to her son and picked him up, spinning him around."Mommy's just very happy," Nash laughed through her tears, "Her bracelet's gone, see?" When the little boy had looked down to see it was true, she added, "So now you and me are going on a little adventure, okay?"

She bundled little Sam in his gray blanket-their demonic keepers didn't see the need to supply either of them with a coat-with his little teddy then she and Dean moved for the doorway. He poked his head out and found the hallway deserted. "We're good." He said in the two stepped out into hall.

They somehow made it to the first floor without encountering a single demon. "This isn't right," Nash said, as they walked through the halls, trying to find a door out, "We've should have encountered someone why by now."

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Nash," Dean advised.

"That mentality didn't exactly work out for the Trojans, did it?" Nash pointed out.

Dean actually froze for moment. "Good point," Dean admitted, "Let's just take it one thing at a time."

Then as if on cue, his eyes landed on a door with a big red and white exit sign above it.

"Yatzee," He said, leading Nash over to the door, pushing it open and stopping in their tracks. Their hearts sunk as a figure in white with his back to them turned around.

It was Lucifer.

"Well, this is...unexpected," He said, as he sauntered over to the trio. "I mean, I knew Dean was coming, but...you getting out, that's a surprise."

Nash clutched Sam closer to her chest, protectively as the Archangel stepped closer.

"Oh, Nash," He said, shaking his head, "I'm not going to hurt a hair on little Samuel's head. I'm still gonna need one of you after all." Suddenly Lucifer's hand jumped up and starting hitting him in the face. After a few moments of that he fell to his knees, his head down. Then he weakly lifted up his head, but it wasn't Lucifer.

It was Sam.

"Run," He groaned an internal battle clearly going on inside, "I'll fight him off as long as I can, just run!"

Dean and Nash ran across the yard to the forest. When they reached the threes she turned around and stopped Dean. "I can take it from here," She said, "You need to get back to your Sam while mine's still..." Her voice trailed off.

"There's still stuff out there," Dean argued, "Croates, demons..."

"I'll be fine," Nash replied, "Now go."

Dean realized there was no arguing and if he tried she'd probably lose him in the woods or something. "At least take these," He handed her a gun and a flask of holy water.

"Thanks," Nash said, taking them, "Not just for these, for...everything."

"Don't mention it," Dean said, "Really, don't. This isn't the sort of thing you want falling into the wrong hands, and there are a lot of those around here."

Nash nodded, then turned around and disappeared into the woods.

Dean turned around and back across, the past Sam who was still holding Lucifer back. "Dean!" He called out, "Where's Nash, where's..."

"Don't worry," Dean told him, "They're fine. I just...can't go with them."

"What does that..." Sam began, but his voice trailed off. Clearly whatever was going on inside was painful. "Kill me." He managed to say, tears forming in his eyes, "Just kill me, Dean. Kill me, please."

"I wish I could," Dean said, "I really do. But I don't know how. I'm sorry." Then he turned away and ran into the building before he could lose his nerve.

He ran as fast as he could to where his Sam was waiting. "Did she get out okay?" His brother asked when he saw him.

"Yeah, but we need to get out of here," Dean replied, " _Now."_ Then he just started doing the spell from memory. " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

Once again a gust of wind filled the room, and they were soon engulfed in the blinding white light.

Meanwhile, Nash was running through the woods, starting to think she was hopelessly lost, when she heard voices. At first she was hesitant to follow, but one of them sounded familiar. She ran towards the voices until she brought through to a clearing where a group of about ten people, all of them armed, jumped up and aimed their weapons at her.

"Wait!" Nash shouted, "We're not Croates, and we're not a demons. See?" She thumbed with the holy water, because it was nearly impossible while she was holding Sam and she was _not_ going to let him go.

"Jesus Christ," A man who looked suspiciously like Dean murmured before exclaiming, "Somebody help her!"

Sammy buried his head into his mother's chest as tan woman with black wavy hair pulled back in a pony tail approached them. "It's alright, I got my own," The woman said, pulling out a flask. Nash held out her arm and the woman poured a little water on it. When nothing happened, the woman turned her attention to Sammy.

"Hold out your arm for the nice lady, sweetie," Nash instructed in a low, comforting tone.

The toddler just barrowed himself deeper into his mother's chest.

"I'm sorry," Nash said, actually a little embarrassed, "He's usually better behaved, it's just you're the first other person he's even seen that's...actually been a person."

"It's alright," The woman assured her, convinced this was just going to be a formality now. "What's your name little guy?"

"Sam," The toddler whimpered.

"Well, Sam," The woman said, "My name is Risa, and I just need to dab a little water on your arm. It won't hurt, I promise."

"They just need to know you're not one of the bad things, " Nash added.

The little boy pulled his arm out of the blanket and presented to Risa, who pulled down the sleeve put a dab of holy water on it. When nothing happened she turned to the others and said, "They're clean."

Nash stepped forward, finding her mouth glued shut as she stared at Dean. She knew she had to explain everything to them, starting with the fact that their plan wouldn't work, as that was probably why they were here, but where should she even begin?

Turns out, Sam began for her. "It's that man again, Mommy," He said, pointing at Dean.

"Again?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's not the same man, honey," Nash said quickly, "But this one's, he's...he's your uncle."

Suddenly everyone got similar shocked and confused expressions on their face.

"Come again?" Dean responded.

Nash took a breath and tried again. "My name is Natasha Stewart, and my son is Samuel Stewart-Winchester, he's you're nephew, and...we really need to talk."

So while the others kept Sammy distracted, Nash sat down with Dean and she told him how she met his brother, and how they had found the Colt and tried use it to, and how it failed miserably and she and their son had been Satan's hostages for over three years, and since Sammy basically let the cat out of the bad, she told him of him and Sam from a parallel universe were they actually managed to beat the devil. Perhaps not surprisingly afterwards he felt the urge to punch a tree, which he did, screaming.

"Hey!" Nash shouted, pulling Dean back from the tree, "Hey, hey, stop that! This is not the kind of environment where you want an opened wound." Then she took the flask of holy water the other Dean had given her, and poured it over this Dean's bleeding hand. Then she tore off a piece of her dress and poured some water on it to clean it, before wrapping it around Dean's hand.

Cas stepped out from the crowd. "Nothing to see here, people," He said, "Just...do whatever you were doing before." Then he walked over to Dean and Nash, "You wanna tell me what that was about?"

"I dropped too much information on him too fast," Nash admitted, still working on the makeshift bandage.

"It's all my fault, " Dean said, rubbing his face with his uninjured hand, "He wanted to come back, if I'd had let him, none of this..."

"Hey," Nash said, cupping Dean face with one hand and directing his gaze to look her in the eyes, "Look at me. You couldn't have known. There's no way you could've known. None of this is your fault."

"She's right," Cas agreed, "I'm not really sure what she's talking about but she's right. And you're still the leader here, there's people are still looking to you for what to do, so pull yourself together and tell them what the plan is."

Dean took a deep breath and regained his composure before turning to team. "Change in plans," He said, "We're going to retreat in a defensive position. We're gonna keep her," Dean gestured to Nash, "And the kid in the middle. Do we have any extra guns we can give her?"

"But what about-" Risa began.

"I said do we have any extra guns!" Dean bellowed, clearly not in the mood for any back talk.

One solider timidly walked over to Nash and handed her a gun.

When they got back to the camp Dean went back to his cabin and fell to floor going into a state of near catatonia. The colt wouldn't work. It was all over. And if he had made one stupid little choice differently, this might have been avoided. Croates, whatever Nash had been through, what everyone here had been through, the world burning...it didn't have happened if he had just done one thing differently. He didn't even have let Michael in he just had to...let Sam come back.

He didn't know how long it had been when there was a knock on his door. "Dean?" Nash's voice called out, "We need to talk."

 _"Great,"_ Dean thought as he forced himself to get up to his feet, _"Because the last one was so great."_

He opened the door and to his surprise found not only his new sister-in-law, but Cas, Risa and Chuck. "Can we come in?" Nash asked.

"Sure," Dean said, gesturing for them to come.

As they walked in Nash began to explain. "I told them everything I told you, and then we all started talking, and we think we might have come up with a plan B."

"Great," Dean said, exasperated, "I'm sure I'm gonna love this."

"One of the things the...other universe Winchesters told me was how they stopped Apocalypse," Nash continued, deciding to ignore Dean's attitude, "You remember the horsemen?"

"Yeah," Dean said tersely, "Yeah, I remember the horsemen."

"Well, each of them have rings," Nash explained, "If you get all four of them they make a key that can open Lucifer's cage. After that, it's just a matter of someone pushing him down it, then we can start rebuilding the world."

Dean let out a bitter huff of a laugh. "Sure," He said, starting to lose it again, "Sure. We just got to get four rings that we have no clue where they are then somehow push the Devil in."

"We already have one ring," Cas pointed out, "You still have War's , remember?"

"Oaky," Dean responded, "So we get the rings, then what? Lucifer's not just gonna let us toss him in there."

 **"** He might not have a choice," Risa spoke up, "Nash said that when Lucifer was going to kill her, Sam was able to wrench back control for a few minutes. If we can get him to do that again he's probably suicidal enough to-"

Enough!" Dean shouted, "Face it, guys, it's over. The colt was best bet and it won't work. We're done, the world's screwed, and there's nothing we can-"

"OH SHUT UP!" Chuck shouted.

The whole room went eerily silent for a moment.

"What?" Dean asked at last.

"'Sure, things are bad, no one's denying it," Chuck said, "But you want to know who also had it bad? Her." He pointed to Nash, "This woman first had her life tore apart by circumstances beyond her control, then had to throw herself into the muck and the mire and the mayhem just to survive, was forced to watch the world's last chance go up in smoke, died with her unborn child inside her, had the love of her life ripped away from her, and then held prisoner by the Devil himself for four years, along with her child, and was on-and-off physcologically tortured. If anyone should be a shell-shocked puddle on the floor, it's her. But instead her made the most functional life for her son she could under the circumstances, managed to escape, and has now almost single handedly found a way to end this. So instead of feeling sorry for yourself, why don't you follow her example and keep going, because even if this is a long shot, it's still a shot!

All was quiet for a moment as Chuck's words washed over Dean and he realized something. "You're right," He said at last. "So, you got any leads on the other four?"

"We found some possible ones from other intel we've gathered, but we're not sure if there'll lead anywhere." Risa said.

"Give them to me, I'll look over them tonight," Dean said, "Also, can I get a couple of cots? For Nash and the kid."

That actually surprised Nash. "Really?" She asked, "You want us to stay in your cabin?"

"Yeah," Dean replied, "You're family."

They could only scrape up one might, but that was okay, since Nash and Sammy were use to sharing anyway. Which was how Dean wound up sitting in front of the cot, all the possible leads spread out before him, trying to separate the good from the bad. It was about 2 AM but Dean didn't think he'd be able to get to sleep. He was looking at list of places with high activity where he head moaning. He looked and saw Nash, looking almost in pain. He snuck over to the cot, and being careful to avoid waking Sammy, nudged Nash, whispering, "Nash, Nash, wake up."

Nash jolted awake, confused. She wasn't in their bed at the in the sanitarium. Then she remembered. "Oh," Then figuring Dean needed something she added, "What's wrong?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Dean replied.

"Just a nightmare," Nash replied, "I'll be fine."

"You sure?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," Nash replied, "Nothing I'm not use to."

Dean's heart sank a little. He wish he had knew about Nash earlier.

"You're not gonna go into your Heroic BSOD again, are you?" She asked.

"What?" Dean replied, not quite sure what that was, "No."

"In that case, I'm going to go back to the first full night of sleep I've had since the Apocalypse started, I suggest you should try that, too," Nash ordered.

Dean chuckled. "All right."

Satisfied, Nash closed her eyes. Dean just sat there a minute, watching his sister-in-law and nephew sleep. _"Don't worry, Sam,"_ He thought, _"I'll take care of them for you."_ Dean was feeling things he hadn't felt in forever. It was like something inside him was resetting. For the first time in a long time, he felt like they actually stood a chance.

For the first time in a long time he had hope.


	27. Everything Is Different Now

**AN: Special thanks to Autumn Alchemist and SPN Girl 14 for the requests that created this AU. I hope it's what you had in mind.**

This time when the light faded, they found themselves surrounded by glass. They were glass walls that looked out on cityscape, lit up in the night. The desk in the center of the room helped them quickly deuced they were in an office building.

"Okay," Dean said as they untangled themselves, "Let's get the spell done before anyone finds us."

Just then, as if on cue, they heard voices in the hallway. "Nice," A voice that sounded suspiciously like Dean was asking, "How much did this cost you?"

"Four months pay," A voice that sounded suspiciously like Sam replied, "I know they say you're only suppose to save three, but, she's worth it, you know?"

"That's something I'm really glad to hear."Dean's voice trailed off.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of her," Sam's voice replied, "Do you think you could set a meeting for me and your dad?"

Just then two men interred the room staring in shock at two men identical to themselves kneeling on the floor putting stuff into a bowel.

Likewise, the Sam and Dean on the ground were also staring at their counterparts, mainly because they were weirded out by their attire. The Dean of this universe was dressed in a blue and black business suit, while that universe's Sam was in a short-sleeve yellow polo shirt and kakis.

"What the Hell?!" All four men exclaimed simultaneously.


	28. Semi-Charmed Life

**AN: I'm posing a little early because I also have family that come the day after Christmas so otherwise I might not get to post. I hope everyone had Merry Christmas.**

"Okay, I know this looks weird," Dean began.

"You think?!" His parallel universe counterpart balked, then he turned to his Sam and added, "It's the ghost all over again."

"You're going to have to be more specific," The Sam on the ground spoke up.

"You first," The other universe Dean replied.

"We were going after this witch," Dean spoke up again, trying to pick up where he left off, "She did this spell, sent us to another universe, and we keep trying to get back to our universe, but we seem to land in every universe except for ours."

"Okay," That universe's Dean said slowly, "Quick question, why were we fighting a witch?"

Sam and Dean balked at each other, then at their other universe selves. "Because it's our job."

"Maybe not," Sam spoke up, "I mean, Dean, look around. We have totally different lives here that probably don't involve witches."

"No witches," That universe's Sam confirmed, "But there was a ghost, and vampire that tried to eat his sister." He gestured towards Dean.

"We have a sister here?" Dean asked.

"Ah, not we," The other Dean, "Only me."

Sam and Dean exchanged looks again. "You mean we're not related here? We're not brothers?"

The other Sam and Dean exchanged looks. "No." They said as the same time.

"Then how do you two know each other?" Sam asked, though he really should have known better by now, "And how do you know about ghost and vampires?"

"That's ...complicated," The other Sam began, "It started with a string of suicides around the office, and then he saw the ghost..."

 **Ohio**

 **2009**

 _"Where do we even get a gun?" Dean asked, putting something into the duffle bag._

 _"Gun store?" Sam suggested._

 _"Isn't there a waiting period or something?" Dean responded._

 _"I think so," Sam replied, as he noticed a picture on the table beside the couch. It was of a younger Dean standing next to an even younger girl with shoulder length-blonde hair. They both seen pretty happy._

 _"Well, how in the Hell-" His voice trailed off as he saw Sam staring off, "What is so interesting?"_

 _"Is this your girlfriend or something?" Sam asked, pointing at the picture._

 _"My sister," Dean replied, then added sternly, "Don't be getting any ideas."_

 _"I wasn't," Sam laughed, then added a bit defensively, "What? I'm not good enough for her?"_

 _"It's not that," Dean assured him, "It's just...you seem like a nice a guy, but I don't actually know that well. You could really be some time of creep for all I know, I mean, you do have a weird fixation on ghost, which I guess turned out for the best, but still-"_

 _"Okay, okay, I get the point," Sam replied, "I'm not really looking for a relationship right now."_

 _"Oh, so my sister's not good enough for_ you?" _Dean countered good naturedly._

 _"It's not that," Sam began, "I just broke up with this girl, Madison. We were actually, engaged, but, something went wrong and we just started drifting apart. It's the only reason why I moved here, took this job."_

 _"Sorry to hear that," Dean replied, "Do you actually know anyone out here?"_

 _"Not really," Sam admitted, "And the only friend I had just killed himself." After a moment he said, "Look, can we just get back to the video, please?"_

 _"Sure," Dean said, starting it again._

 _"The aforementioned supper-annoying Ruggers,-"_

Ohio

Present Day

"Hold up," Dean spoke up, "Ruggers?"

"Yeah, that was the last name of the people they got this from," That universe's Sam replied, "I guess it's like the handgun."

"So, to sum it up," Dean said, "Apparently, we're just a couple of office lackies have been replaced on the hunting front by a couple of guys named Rugger."

"Actually, from some of the other stuff that got said I think they might have been girls," The other Dean added in, "The clean-shaven one called one of them Mary Lou and said she was hot."

"Anyway," Sam cut in before it could get any further, "What happened next?"

"After finishing the video we went back to the office," The other Sam replied, "I got waylaid by a guard, who got taken out by an elevator..."

 _"This is starting to sound familiar,"_ Dean thought as the other Sam continued the story.

 **Ohio**

 **2009**

 **Again**

 _"Dean, you there ?" Sam demanded, as he marched through the cubicles, talking on the phone and wiping his face with a towel at the same time._

 _"Yeah," Dean replied from other the phone, "Listen, I think I got it. Meet me on twenty-two."_

 _"Okay, yeah," Sam replied, "Just, uh, take the stairs."_

 _Dean was looking at the Sandover history display when Sam walked in. "Whoa," Dean said, taken aback by the blood splatter covering the other man, "That's a lot of blood."_

 _"Yeah, I know," Sam replied._

 _"Right," Dean said, somewhat getting his bearings back, "So, uh, it's in there." He pointed to a glass case containing a pair of leather gloves._

 _"P.T. Sandover's gloves," Sam guessed._

 _"Yeah," Dean confirmed, "How much you wanna bet there's a little smudge of DNA in there? You know, a fingernail clipping or a hair of two. Something."_

 _"So you ready?" Sam asked._

 _"I have no idea," Dean answered_

 _"Me neither," Sam replied._

 _Both men took out an iron fire poker and Sam took out a container of salt. "Go for it," Sam encouraged his comrade._

 _"Right," Dean replied, unsure. Dean smashed the glass protecting the gloves. Suddenly the apparition of an old man appeared behind him, flinging him against the wall, then doing the same to Sam. It was the ghost of P.T. Sandover. The ghost's hand sparked as he approached Sam. Thanking fast, Sam tossed some salt at him causing Sandover to dissipate._

 _"Oh." Dean said, getting up, "Nice."_

 _"Dean!" Sam shouted, as he saw Sandover's ghost appear behind Dean._

 _He threw Dean a poker and Dean turned and swung it through Sandover, causing the ghost to dissipate._

 _"Nice catch," Sam commented._

 _"Right?" Dean replied._

 _Sam got up and went to pick up the other poker. Sandover appeared the two men who simotianously swung the poker through him, causing him to dissipate. He then appeared behind Dean, who turned around to get him, then behind Sam who did the same, then he got between them, then he threw first Sam then Dean into opposite walls. Sandover's hands sparked as he reached for Dean. Sam saw the gloves and grabbed them along with the lighter. The glove caught fire along with Sandover, who burned into nothing. Sam dropped the burning gloves. He never felt so alive in his life._

 _"That was amazing," He declared._

 _"Right? Right?" Dean agreed._

 _Satisfied that Sandover were gone, the pair went to Dean's office to treat their wounds._

 _Dean pulled a first-aid kit out of his desk. "Man, I gotta tell you," He was saying, "I've never had so much fun in my life."_

 _"Me neither," Sam agreed._

 _"Was a Hell of a work out too, wasn't it?" Dean continued._

 _Suddenly, Sam had a thought. "We should keep doing this."_

 _"I know," Dean agreed, looking through the first aid kit. He pulled out two gauze pads and handed one to Sam._

 _"I mean it," Sam continued," There's gotta be other ghost out there. We could help a lot of people."_

 _"Right, we'd be like the Ghostfacers," Dean joked._

 _"No, really," Sam insisted, "I mean, for real."_

 _"What?" Dean questioned, "Like, quit our jobs and hit the road?"_

 _"Exactly," Dean confirmed._

 _"How would we live?" Dean asked, hopping Sam would see sense._

 _"Uh..."Sam's voice trailed off._

 _"You gotta be kidding me," Dean exclaimed, "How would we get by? With stolen credit cards? Hun? Eating diner food drenched in saturated fats? Sharing a crap motel room every night?"_

 _"That's just details," Sam brushed off Dean's concerns._

 _Details are everything," Dean exclaimed, "You don't wanna go fighting without any health insurance?"_

 _Sam sighed and leaned back closing his eyes. "Okay," He said after a minute, "Let's try this. We keep our jobs, and look for ghost locally. I mean, I doubt Sandover's ghost was the only one in Ohio. "_

 _"Sure," Dean agreed, "Part time ghost hunters, I can work with that."_

 _"So it's settled then?" Sam asked._

 _"Yeah."_

 _"Good," Sam replied, before heading for the door._

 _"Hey, Sam," Dean called out before the younger man could get past doorway._

 _"What?" Sam asked, turning back around._

 _"Considering what we just did I say it calls for a celebratory drink," Dean said, "I'll buy the first round."_

 _"Sure," Sam agreed, "Sounds good."_

 **Ohio**

 **Present Day**

"Part-time ghost hunters?" Dean repeated, "Are you two insane?"

"Well, we never really got around to that," The Sam of that universe said in their defense, "Except for the vampire, at least, we think it was a vampire, and it found us, sorta."

"What's behind that story, anyway?" Dean asked.

Sam gave him a look. He didn't like delaying their departure any longer than necessary.

"Come on, you can't tell me you're not curious," Dean challenged.

Sam had to admit, he kind of was. "Okay, " He conceded, "What happened with the vampire?"

"Okay," That universe's Dean began, "It all started when my baby sister Jo came to visit..."

 **Ohio**

 **2010**

 _Dean rushed to the door at the sound of someone knocking. He barely took a second to check it was who he thought it was before opening it. "Hey, there," He said, as his younger sister moved in for a hug, "It's so good to see you."_

 _"You too," Jo said, letting go and actually entering the apartment, "How's things?"_

 _"Okay," Dean said, fallowing his sister, "You want anything?"_

 _"Well, I'd asked if you have a beer, but I know you have a figure to keep, sis," Jo teased._

 _Dean smirked. "Actually," He said, walking to the fridge and opening it, "I don't do that anymore." He pulled two beers out._

 _"Since when?" Jo asked, taking the one he held out to her._

 _"Well, I have this new friend who kind of convinced me what I was doing an act of lunacy," Dean replied, sitting down across from her and taking a sip._

 _"Who is this person who can perform such miracles?" Jo asked, "Can I meet them?"_

 _"Maybe," Dean replied, "But not right now."_

 _"Ooh, mysterious," Jo shot back, "Is this a new girl or something?"_

 _"No," Dean said quickly, "Just get kid from tec support. He helped me fixed this thing a couple of months back, and he doesn't really know anyone else, so we hang out."_

 _"So, you've like taken him under your wing?" Jo reasoned._

 _Dean leaned back a moment in thought. "Yeah," He said after a minute, "Yeah, I guess you could say that?"_

 _Jo smirked. "My brother, the mentor."_

 _Dean decided it was time to switch to a new subject. "So, how's Kyle?" He didn't actually like her boyfriend, but he figured he should at least, ask._

 _"Actually, we broke up last week," Jo replied._

 _"I'm sorry to hear that," Dean lied._

 _"No, you're not," Jo smirked._

 _Just then they were interrupted by Dean's phone going off. Dean's phone went off. "I should probably take this," He said going into the other room. "Look, Sam this really isn't the best time-"_

 _''I know, your sister's coming over," Sam replied," But I didn't know what else to do!" That was when Dean heard the sound of rushing water in the background._

 _"What is that?" Dean asked slowly._

 _"One of my pipes sprung a leak," Sam explained, "Can I borrow your tools?"_

 _"Sure," Dean replied. After hearing the intensity of the water he added, "You need me to come to you?"_

 _"Yeah, that would be helpful." Sam said, and Dean could hear him trying to plug a hole._

 _"See you in a few," Dean replied before hanging up the phone. "Hey, Jo," He said, looking to her, "You wanna meet that friend of mine after all?"_

 _Dean knocked on the door and it was a few seconds passed, which worried Dean. When the young man opened the door, he was drenched head to toe. "Hey," He said, awkwardly._

 _"Hey," Dean replied, looking Sam up and down, "What happened to you?"_

 _"All the pipes, breaking practically at once," Sam explained, gesturing to the deluge flowing from his kitchen to his living room._

 _"Wow," Dean replied, "I don't think you can fix this by yourself. Have you tried calling-"_

 _"The super?" Sam finished, "I did, he's not answering my calls, and he's pretending like he's not in his office, even though I can see he's in there!"_

 _Dean thought for a minute about what to do, then said, "Okay, tell you what, you show me where this guy is and I'll get him to come, then we'll figure out what to do about this," He gestured to the growing mess._

 _And so, Sam lead them to the super's office. Dean tried, knocking on it. "Hey!" He said, then knocked a few more times, "Hey! Hey, one of your buildings is flooded out here!"_

 _"I told you," Sam said, "He won't answer."_

 _"You know what," Dean said at last, "Plan B. You still know how to kick down a door?"_

 _That caught Jo off guard. "I'm sorry, did you just say kick down the door?"_

 _"Are you serious?" Sam exclaimed, "Dude, I still have to live here."_

 _"You're not seriously gonna break down the door," Jo interjected._

 _"Do you really_ want _to live here?" Dean questioned, not noticing what his sister said. "Look, if it comes to it, I'll help you find a new apparent, but we gotta do something."_

 _"Oh, my God," Jo said, "You're really considering this."_

 _"Alright," Sam relented. Then he ran at the door, rising his leg, and kicking it open. To their surprised they found a man of medium build curled up into a corner, running his hands through his sandy hair. He buried his head deeper as the sun hit him, flinching._

 _"Ah, Stan?" Sam asked, concerned, "You okay?"_

 _"It hurts," Stan moaned._

 _"What hurts?" Sam asked._

 _"Everything!" Stan seethed, "The sun burns, and I can smell everything, hear everything..." He looked up, "Like you," He said, "I can hear your heartbeat," He rose up." I can smell your blood. And I wanna...I wanna..." Suddenly he lunged at Sam, who quickly ducked out of the way. "Run!" Sam shouted to his companions._

 _They didn't have to be told twice. The three quickly fled Stand chasing after them until he got to the doorway and felt the sun on his face, then he quickly fled back into the room._

 _"What was that?!" Jo exclaimed, as they continued to run._

 _"No clue," Dean replied, "Sam?"_

 _"You expect me to know?" Sam responded, "Let's just get out of here."_

 _They made it to the safety of Dean's car and drove to the nearest police station at breakneck speed._

 _"So tell me again so I have this right," The police officer taking their statement requested, "You went to your super's office to talk to him about a leak in your pipes, and he attacked you?"_

 _"Yeah," Sam replied, "He was completely inside, raving about the sun hurting and being able to hear my heartbeat."_

 _"And exactly how did you get into his office?" The officer asked._

 _"The door was off its hinges," Jo spoke up. She had been very vocal on the way over about getting their stories strait about the door, considering they had been the ones breaking and entering, "emphasis on the breaking," she had said. Dean saw her point but was little unnerved about how easily she lied to the police._

 _"Look, can you just get someone out there before he hurts somebody?" Sam asked._

 _"Don't worry, Mr. Weston," The officer reassured him, "We'll get someone out there immediately to take a look."_

 _"Thanks," Sam replied, "Can we go now?"_

 _"Yes," The officer said, "We'll call you if we need anything else."_

 _"Thanks," Sam said, standing up to leave._

 _"You mind dropping me off at a hotel?" Sam asked after they got into the car._

 _"No way," Jo exclaimed, "You're coming with us."_

 _Both men balked._

 _"That's alright," Sam replied, "I don't wanna put anyone out."_

 _"It's no problem," Jo replied, "Look, I already have the guess room, but Dean's still got a couch, right, Dean?"_

 _Dean looked like deer in the headlights. He wanted to help but he didn't like Jo just offering lodging to people in_ his _house, it was just the principal of the thing. But still, Jo was giving him daggers so he said, "Yeah, sure. The more the merrier."_

 _"Are you sure?" Sam asked, sensing Dean was being forced._

 _"Let's just say it would be beneficial for both of us," Dean answered._

 _"That's very...nice of you," Sam said, "But really, I'll just pay for a hotel."_

 _"No," Jo insisted harshly, "Dean, just take us strait home."_

 _"Seriously?" Dean replied, "You want me to kidnap him?"_

 _"It's a well-intentioned kidnapping," Jo shot back, "And it's not like we're gonna keep him forever. Now go."_

 _And so, Dean headed back to his place, with Sam insisting the whole way it was unnecessary._

 _Despite his protest, Sam wound up falling to sleep pretty quickly on Dean's couch. However, in the middle of the night, he was woken by the sound of someone stumbling through the living area. He blotted upright and saw a certain blonde looking like she's been caught with her hand in the cookie jar._

 _"Jo?" Sam asked, "What are you doing up?"_

 _"Couldn't sleep," She explained, "Then I remembered I left one of my bags in the car so I figured might as well."_

 _"In the middle of the night?" Sam questioned._

 _"Like I said, couldn't sleep," Jo replied._

 _"Maybe I should go with you," Sam suggested, pulling on his over shirt._

 _"I don't need someone to protect me," Jo scoffed._

 _"I'm not saying that," Sam countered, "It's just, a parking lot at night requires the buddy system, it's basic common sense."_

 _"Alright," Jo grinned, "I see your point. Come on, let's go."_

 _Sam waited in the parking lot while Jo tumbled in the trunk of her car. He was feeling more than a bit uneasy. They were the only ones in the lot, but still he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible._

 _At last Jo pulled out a small red duffle bag. "Is that it?" Sam asked._

 _"Yep," Jo replied, starting to walk away._

 _Sam quickly followed her, when he noticed something after the corner of his eyes. Or rather someone. Someone who seemed very familiar..._

 _"Stan?" Sam wondered aloud._

 _Seconds after he said that Sam was toppled to the ground by someone he didn't see._

 _"Get off him!" Jo shouted, pilling at Sam's attacker. She finally managed to pulled him off and made him face her. His mouth was open, so she could see his gums were lined with two rows of animal-like teeth, where a human flat, omnivore chompers should be._

 _Instinctively Jo, stepped backed, her heart pumping with terror. Sam struggled to his feet, grabbed her by the wrist, and the two took off down the street._

 _"Did you see his mouth?!" Jo shouted as they ran._

 _"No, what about it?!" Sam shouted back._

 _"They were...they were fangs," Jo got out, "All of them."_

 _The shock of that statement cause Sam to stop in his track. "What?"_

 _At the point Stan came running into view._

 _"Let's go!" Jo shouted, beginning to run again. They turned a block then made a turn right, accidently landing in a dead-end alleyway. "Oh crap."_

 _Just then, Stan appeared in the alleyway._

 _"Any ideas?" Sam asked._

 _"I was hoping you had one," Jo replied_

 _"I can smell your blood," Stan moaned, "And it smells...so...good..."_

 _Its then Sam saw a long piece of sharp metal in the corner. Thinking fast, he grabbed it, and swung it at Stan's neck. It went halfway, through and Stan went to the ground. Sam stepped over a few feet to where Stan fell, and after a bit of a struggled removed a piece of metal from his neck. Then he whammed it back in three times with such force the it completely severed the creature's head from its body._

 _"Is he..." Jo began, but trailed off._

 _"Yeah," Sam said, letting go of the metal._

 _"Okay," Jo began, "First thing we need to do is get the body out of here, and somewhere no one will find it, and we need to get rid of the scrap metal, your finger prints are probably over it, and then..."Your hands!"_

 _"What?" Sam replied._

 _"You're bleeding," Jo said, pointing to Sam's hands. He looked at his palms and realized that the hand that had held the makeshift blade had longs cuts on it._

 _"Okay, new plan," She said, carefully picking up the metal by the dull half, "This is the only connecting us to this, so we get this out of here, get you bandaged up, and we should he home free. " As she took Sam's hand and dragged him out of the alleyway, she added, "I hope."_

 _As they got close to Dean's apparent complex, they heard someone calling out their names. Dean came to view, dressed in clothes he clearly hadn't looked at when he put them on, desperately looking for them._

 _"Dean!" Jo called out, hurrying her pace._

 _"What the Hell happened to you two?!" He exclaimed taking in their battered appearance," I woke up and you two were gone, I was scared as Hell..."_

 _"I had to get something from the car," Jo explained, "Sam came with me which was probably a good thing because Stan showed up, and he was some kind of mutant freak."_

 _"Come again," Dean requested._

 _"Let's get inside," Jo suggested, "Then we'll explain everything."_

 _Jo and Sam took turns explaining what had happened as Jo worked on Sam's injured hand._

 _"Wow," Dean said, when they were finished._

 _"Okay," Sam responded, "I was hoping for a little more than that."_

 _"Like what?" Dean asked._

 _"Like what are we gonna do about this?!" Jo exclaimed._

 _Dean thought for a minute, then said, "Did either of you touch the body?"_

 _"I didn't touch it," Jo replied, "Sam?"_

 _"No," Sam replied._

 _"Did any camera catch you?" Dean asked._

 _"In the alleyway, no," Sam replied, "On the street, I'm not sure."_

 _Dean took a moment to think again. "Okay," He said, at last, "I know someone who knows someone that cleans up things like this."_

 _"Like a fixer?" Jo asked._

 _"You could say that," Dean said, "If my friend can get her to deal with it, no one will know what happened. I'll go make the call." As he went to do that he turned around one more time and said, "Sam?"_

 _"Yeah?" The younger man asked._

 _"Thanks for making sure Jo was okay," Dean said sincerely._

 _"Don't mention it," Sam replied, then smirking at Jo said, "It was my pleasure."_

 **Ohio**

 **Present Day**

"So that was our second encounter with the paranormal," That universe's Sam finished, "Any questions?"

Was Jo the one he talking about proposing to briefly crossed their mind, but figuring it was a foregone conclusion, Dean , "Nope. We're good. Can, we ah, finish the spell now."

"Sure," That universe's Dean said, "Carry on."

Sam threw the last ingredient into the bowl and began the spell. " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

This time when the wind picked it up it was followed by the sounds of small fragile objects falling and breaking. Sam and Dean cringed and were opening their mouths to apologize when the while light engulfed them.


	29. Where Things Get REALLY Weird

This time when they came to they were greeted with the sound of screaming. They turned towards the sounded to find Kevin Tran, looking maybe a bit older then he was at the time of his death, trying to scramble from the kitchen floor where he had fallen to his feet. "Angels or demons?" He demanded.

"Hun?" Was all Dean managed to say. It wasn't that he didn't know what Kevin was asking, it was just that was the first time anyone had jumped to that.

"Are you angels or demons?" Kevin repeated more slowly, "It'll just be easier if I know now."

"Neither," Sam replied.

"Then what are you?" Kevin asked.

"We're..." Sam began there he caught something scurrying across the room.

"Sam," Dean spoke up, "Tell him what's going on."

"Sorry," Sam said, shaking his head in an attempt to snap himself out of it, "I just thought I saw something."

Just then a little boy of about five scampered out from behind the sink.

"Sam run!" Kevin shouted.

The little boy-Sam apparently-rushed to the kitchen door when a very familiar brunette burst through. "What is going on?!" An Ellen Harvelle Slightly younger than she had been in the time they knew her, bellowed.

"That's what we'd like to know," Dean replied.


	30. A Choice Of Evils

"So you're Sam and Dean?" Kevin said, "From a different universe, one apparently with a different time line."

"What makes you think that?" Dean asked.

"This," Kevin began gesturing with his arms towards Dean, "Is your Sam. This," He held up the child in his arms, "Is my Sam."

"Yeah, why exactly do you have him?" Sam asked, "I'm just asking, because, we've come across some...odd universe during this whole experience, but this has got to be..."

"The one that makes the least sense at first glance," Dean finished, "And it not making any more sense."

Kevin sat his Sam down. "Sam, why don't you find Jo and play?"

The little boy ran off.

"We should wait a few minutes for him to get out the area," Kevin, "There are some things I don't want him to find out right now."

"It's that bad, huh?" Dean asked, starting to get worried.

"Worst than you could ever imagine," Kevin replied.

"I think he's upstairs now," Ellen said, "We're alone."

"Okay, then," Kevin began, taking a deep breath. "When I was sixteen I started having these visions...horrible carriage ending in the apocalypse. At first I thought I was going crazy, but then it turned out, some of the people I were seeing, they were real, just, really younger than they were in the visions. Then I got this idea of how to stop everything I saw. I thought that if I could get to Sam before Azazel could feed him his blood I could stop it all, or at very least throw a monkey wrench in the works. So I found out where the Winchesters lived.

"Kevin," Dean said, "What did you do?"

Lawrence, Kansas

October, 26th, 1983

 _Kevin was on his belly under the window of Sam Winchester's room. His mother had put him to bed and hour ago, and he was pretty sure the rest of the family had gone to sleep, but he wanted to wait a little linger to be sure. For the fiftieth time that day he doubted his plan. What was he going to do, run off with the kid and live in cabin until the time frame was up? And what did he know about raising kids? And surely the demons weren't going to give up that easily. And neither would the angels, from what he had seen of them. How was he going to protect him? He couldn't do this! He was only sixteen!_

 _But this was the only plan he had, so he was going to go through with it, no matter how many flaws it had._

 _Kevin slowly raised up and took the crowbar he had brought with him and pried the window open, then slowly climbed into it, creeping over the side. He sulked over to the crib and picked up its sleeping occupant. "Hey, there little guy," Kevin whispered, "You wanna come stay with me for a while?" Kevin felt a pang of guilt for snatching the baby away from his unsuspecting family. They would always wondered what happened to him, who had taken him and why, was being fed, being abused, was he cold. It was probably going to destroy them._

 _Kevin started to lower the infant back into the crib, when memories of the things he had seem flashed in his head. The baby's mother dying on the ceiling, his brother ripped to pieces, his temptation, Lucifer rising, the battle of Armageddon._

 _That was all it took for Kevin to stop what he was doing, turn around and begin to carefully sneak back out the window his with cargo. Taking one hand off the baby, he pulled the window down then started running across the grass. Suddenly the ground started to shake ad a bright light filled the sky, accompanied by the sound of screeching. Kevin fell to the ground, gripping Sam tighter as the child started shrieking and he shook with terror. How had the angels found him? How did they even know what he was going to do? And what were they going to do to him now?_

 _Just as suddenly that light had come and the ground started shaking, the ground stopped shaking and the light froze, and the screeching stopped. For a few seconds everything stopped, like someone had hit a pause button on the world. Then the screeching started again, but it wasn't from the light. It was from somewhere else. Then the original screeching started again. It was as if the angels were fighting about what to do about this, which from what he knew of them, was rare, if it had ever happened before at all._

 _Seizing the opportunity, Kevin pulled himself on the ground ran to his van, well, technically it was his mother's man, to where he had parked it nearby. He barely took the time to strap Sam into the car seat he bought for the occasion before h jumped into the driver's seat and gunned it._

 _And as the screeching a quieted, a mother's wail filled the night._

 _Kevin dumped the car two blocks away, and made his way to the motel on foot. When was in the safety of the warded motel room, and he worked on soothing the little child. "It's okay, Sammy," He whispered, "It's all going to be okay."_

 _He hoped he wasn't lying._

 _ **One Year Later**_

 _"Make it last little guy," Kevin urged, putting a plate of white beans and an ill-formed drop biscuit in from of the toddler, "This is the last of it."_

 _Kevin knew he would have to find more provisions sooner or later, probably sooner, he would have to go out for provisions, but that meant they were as good as caught._

 _As long as pair of young fugitives stayed in place covered with warding meant to hide them for both demons and angels, and keep both species out, they were safe, but eventually they would have to leave to room in search of the basic necessities of life. That was when someone would find them. They had already had two close calls this month alone._

 _The next day Kevin was awoke by the sound of Sam crying. "Hey, there little man," He said picking him up, "What's wrong?"_

 _He knew what was wrong._

 _Still he went through the motions, checking Sam's dipper, then trying to rock him back to sleep. He even tried satisfying the child with water, but that didn't work. Nothing worked. At last he came to terms with what he has to do._

 _"Come on Sam," Kevin said, strapping his charge into his stroller, "Let's go get what we need."_

 _Kevin examined the crowd, looking for an easy mark. Picking pockets might not be the most honest way to get cash, but one of the only things available when you were on the lamb from agents of Heaven and Hell with a missing kid._

 _It was times like this when Kevin wondered exactly when his life had gone so off course. He was on his way to an ivy-league collage and now he was picking pockets just to buy a scrap of food._

 _He was so caught up in his musings he didn't notice someone behind him until he felt a hand clamped on his shoulder. "Don't scream," A female voice warned him, "Don't react at all. You see that guy over there?"_

 _"Over where?" Kevin asked, his heart suddenly in his throat._

 _"Just move your eyes to the right," The voice instructed._

 _His eyes moved in the direction and he saw a man leering at them from the crowd._

 _"He's a demon," The woman said, "He's been following you for the last fifteen minutes, I'm pretty sure he knows who you are."_

 _"How do you know who I am?" Kevin asked._

 _"I'll explain later, I promise," The woman said, "Just head towards the exit, act natural, I'll be right behind you all the way."_

 _"Nothing about this is natural," Kevin protested, but he did as she said._

 _After what seemed like forever the trio made it out of the store. "Okay, I think we're safe." Their savior said stepping from behind them, revealing a peitie woman in her mid-twenties, her soft auburn hair braided down her back._

 _"I wouldn't be so sure," A voice said from behind them. They both turned to see the man the strange woman had marked as a demon standing before them, eying them with a predatory glare. Then his momentarily turned black as he sauntered over to them and wrenched for the stroller. "I'll be taking that," Wrapping his hands around Sam who immediately started crying._

 _"No!" Kevin shouted going for his holy water, but the demon was faster, flinging both him and the woman against the wall._

 _"Alright," The woman said through gritted teeth, "Two can play at that game." He flicked her wrist, and the demon found himself pinned against the other wall, the shock just making Sam cried more._

 _"Are you insane?!" Kevin shouted, "You could've hurt Sam! You could've killed him!"_

 _"And you would rather he make off with him?" The woman, an angel Kevin had decided, realized, snapped back._

 _"Well, what are we gonna do now, genius?!" Kevin challenged, "We're all pinned!"_

 _The angel though for a minute then started chanting in what Kevin recognized to be Latin. Suddenly the demon's face contorted into a look of anguish, then its mouth opened and black smoke poured out. As the smoke dissipated into the air, the man fell to his knees, and Kevin and his angelic companion dropped to the ground. They both rushed over to the man, who was still holding Sam, and they could see the man openly weeping. "Thank you," He sobbed, "I don't know how you did it but...oh, thank you!"_

 _"Don't mention it," The angel said, as she and Kevin helped the man to his feet._

 _The man handed Sam back to Kevin saying, "I think he's okay, but you need to be careful. I wasn't awake for all of it, but when I was I...heard some things. The things they want to do to this little one...what they wanna do to you...you just need to look out for yourself, okay?"_

 _"Don't worry," Kevin assured him, "I'm usually more careful then this." And he was kicking himself for not being more careful this time. Sure, the demon was gone, but he still had the angel to deal with and they were a lot harder to get rid of. He deiced the best thing to do was to stall as long as possible until he thought of a plan. "You need a ride home?"_

 _"I can't exactly go home," The man replied, "After possessing me, the demon...let's just say if I went home I'd probably be arrested on several counts of murder."_

 _Kevin's heart bled for the guy, it really did. For a second, he even wondered if it would have been better to put the man out of his misery while he was possessed. "Does anyone have a pen, something to write with?"_

 _The angel started thumbing through her pockets, pulling out a small purple pen. "Here," She said, handing it to the prophet._

 _Kevin took the man hand's and started writing information on it. "This," Kevin explained, "Is a guy who makes fakes IDs. I'm not sure how permeate they are, but it'll help for a little while. Just tell him Kevin sent you, and if he needs elaboration tell the Asian kid with the baby. I think he'll remember that."_

 _"Thank you," The man said sincerely._

 _"That's okay," Kevin assured him._

 _The man ran off, leaving Kevin in the angel alone. He started to run, but she grabbed him the arm saying, "Oh no, you don't. Do you realize how much trouble you've caused? It's extremely lucky you're a prophet, or who knows what we would've-can you please shut him up?"_

 _"Give him break," Kevin snapped, "He's tried and scared and hasn't had anything to eat since yesterday." That gave Kevin an idea of how to stall. "You think maybe I could feed him before you turn us in?" He looked at her scared, sad, desperate eyes as he added, "Please?"_

 _The angel deliberated with herself a minute, then decided that it couldn't hurt. "Come on," She said before taking off with the two captives._

 _When they materialized, they were in a one room building with a smooth brown floor and smooth brown walls. "Go sit over there," She said, pointing to a round drop-leaf table surrounded by four wicker chairs._

 _Kevin took Sam and sat him then himself in the chairs while the angel went to the other side of the room, where there was a stove, pantry, even a small refrigerator. "Let's see," She murmured to herself as she searched through the pantry, "Food, food, ah!" She pulled out a thing of canned plums._

 _If Kevin didn't know better he would've thought she was a regular human. But he did know better. "So what are you gonna do with us?" Kevin asked._

 _"You mean me or my superiors?" The angel asked, taking two apples out as well._

 _"Both, I guess," Kevin replied._

 _"Honestly," The angel replied, starting to cut the apples, "I don't know, this is kind of a unique situation. I mean, you're a prophet, so that means we're suppose to protect you, but-"_

 _"Wait, back up a minute," Kevin cut in, "That's the second time you said that, what does that mean?"_

 _"It means those visions were from God," She replied mater-of-factly as she spun around holding two plates of food, "You were suppose to chronicle them, instead you kidnap one of the brothers for reasons no one could figure out and apparently sent everything off track. Although-and don't tell anyone I told you this-I don't see what the big deal is. Sam Winchester's not even the one we really care about." She sat two plates on the table in front of each of them. Each plate had equal portions of thick brown bead studded with nuts and raisins, slices of apples, and slices of plums._

 _"Why don't they care about Sam?" Kevin asked, as he tore Sam's bread into small, toddler-sized pieces and the angel walked back over to the kitchen area._

 _"Because," The angel said, opening a can of condensed milk by ripping the whole half top off, "He's not the one who's suppose to stop the Apocalypse. That's his brother."_

 _"Is that what they told you?" Kevin asked as he watched her turn around with two blue mugs._

 _"What does that mean?" The angel asked, as she sat the mugs down._

 _"It's just my visions tell a little different story," Kevin replied._

 _"Like what?" The angel asked, appearing almost worried._

 _Kevin paused a minute. "Do you really wanna know?"_

 _"Yes," She replied, "I do."_

 _"Look, ah..." Kevin's voice trailed off as he realized he was no clue what the angel's name was._

 _"Anael," She answered his unspoken question._

 _"Well, Anael," Kevin responded, "You might wanna sit down. I'm afraid this is going to come as a bit of a shock to you. "_

 _And so Kevin explained exactly what he saw, and how it had lead to this crazy scheme to try to stop it all._

 _After he finished Anael reminded silent for a while, a shocked looked on her face._

 _"Hey," Kevin said, suddenly worried, waving a hand in front of her face, "You okay?"_

 _"They lied to us," Anael said slowly, "All of us, for centuries." Suddenly she stood, her face contorted into a look of pure rage. "Okay," She said, "New plan." She reached out and put her hand on Kevin's should and suddenly he felt excruciating pain in his chest. He screamed for several seconds before Anael let go. "What...was...that?!"_

 _"Encohian warding," Anael explained, "It will keep any angels from finding you, but I had to crave it in your ribs. I probably should have warned you first."_

 _"Ya think?!" Kevin exclaimed._

 _"I'll need to crave them into Sam, too," Anael added, "It's the only way to keep you both safe, at least from us."_

 _Kevin realized she was right. "Just give me a second to get him ready." Kevin got up and walked over where Sam was sitting, then he picked the toddler up and sat him in his lap. "Okay, buddy," Kevin soothed, "This nice lady here has to do something to your chest. It's going to really hurt, but I'll be with you the whole time, okay?" He took Sam's tiny hand in his. "Okay," Kevin replied, "I think we're as ready as we'll ever be."_

 _Anael tentatively reached out and touched the child on the shoulder, and he immediately started crying. "I'm sorry," Anael said, as she finished._

 _"It's okay now, Sam," Kevin said standing up with the child trying to sooth him, "It's over."_

 _"Not completely," Anael spoke up, "I still need to make it look like you two escaped. You mind staying here for a few more minutes?"_

 _"Sure," Kevin said, starting to worry a bit again._

 _About a minute she was back holding an old metal casks. She poured liquid from into a large circle around her._

 _"Ah," Kevin began, totally confused now, "What are you doing?"_

 _"This is holy oil," Anael explained, "You put a match to it you get holy fire."_

 _"Holy fire?" Kevin questioned, "That's an actual thing? It's not just like a metaphor?"_

 _"Oh, it's an actual thing," Anael confirmed, "And it's one of the few things that kill angels, ergo, if you get one in the ring of the stuff, you've basically got it trapped." She tossed Kevin a small sliver lighter, which he managed to catch. Then she handed the cask out to him. Kevin sat Sam back in the chair walked over to Anael, and took it from her. "I case you need it later." She explained._

 _"Thanks," He said, putting the cask on the table then heading back over to Anael, the lighter in his hands. "So, what do I do with this?"_

 _"Just flip it open an put it on the oil," Anael instructed._

 _"And you'll be okay?" Kevin asked. He was grateful for what she was doing to help them and didn't want to see her burn to death._

 _"I gave myself a wide enough birth that I'll only be trapped," She assured him._

 _Kevin opened the lighting and threw it on the oil which immediately bust into a circle of high, orange flame. Kevin just started for a moment, actually a little surprised._

 _"Go!" Anael shouted, motioning with her hand towards the door._

 _Kevin thrashed the holy oil into the dipper bag which he had managed to keep, slung it over his shoulder then scooped up Sam, as they had abandoned the stroller when the fled the market._

 _"Bye Anna," Sam squeaked._

 _Anael narrowed her eyes at mispronouncment of her, but then said, "I actually kind of like that, kid." as she watched Kevin run out the door._

 **Last Chance, Nebraska**

 **Two Years Later**

 _The hunter held out a hand to help Kevin's out of his truck. "That's okay, I got it," Kevin said, taking Sam in his arms and stepping out of the truck. Then he missed his step and nearly fell, but thankfully their new found hunter friend caught them both._

 _The angel warding got the angels off their backs, but it didn't fix all their problems. Case in point, a demon that someone got through the warding on the house they were squatting at. Fortunately that demon had actually been in town for a while causing trouble and there had been a hunter on its tail. However after it had been exercised, the man had some questions._

 _Which is how they wound up at his base of operations. Which was oddly enough a bar in the middle of nowhere._

 _He followed the man into the bar, and found the place completely deserted. "Hey, Ellen!" He called out, "You here?!"_

 _"Bill!" A woman's voice called out and the doors opened revealing a young woman with long brown hair, "You're back!" She threw her arms around him, clearly overjoyed he was home safe._

 _"Good to see you, too," The man said, "How's Joanna?"_

 _"She's taking a nap," Ellen replied, pulling back, then noticing they weren't alone. "Bill," She said, staring at the two strangers in her bar, "Who are they?"_

 _"That's Kevin," Bill said, pointing to the teenager, "And that's Sam. Provided that they actually gave me their real names the second time."_

 _"I did," Kevin confirmed. After Bill figured out he lied about their names the first time, Kevin didn't see much point in giving him second fake names._

 _"And what are they doing here?" Ellen asked._

 _"Well, they were attached by the demon I was after, but the thing is, they were ready for it," Bill explained, "And while I was exercising it, the demon let a couple things slip that I was a little keen to learn more about."_

 _"It's kind of a long story," Kevin replied._

 _Ellen gave the empty room a once over. "We got time."_

 _Seeing no way out, Kevin tell them everything-glossing over some details he refused to reveal to two people he only just met even though they seemed quite nice, of course. It actually felt good unburdening himself, after being in this on his own for so long. Like stretching after a long sleep._

 _Perhaps not surprisingly after hearing Kevin's tale, Ellen felt the need to pour herself and her husband a strong drink. "Gotta hand it to you, kid," She said, taking a sip of her drink, "I thought I heard it all, but, your story..." Her voice trailed off and she shook her head._

 _"You think you have trouble believing it," Kevin replied, "Try being me."_

 _"So what are you going to do now?" Bill asked._

 _"Get some more funds together and head try to find somewhere else to lay low," Kevin answered._

 _Suddenly Ellen got an idea. "If it cash you're looking for," She said, "I could use some help around here. And as long you're here I could put you up."_

 _"I don't know," Kevin said, unsure, "I got monsters on my tale on a regular basis."_

 _"What better place to hide out in than a bar full of hunters?" Ellen pointed out._

 _Kevin had to admit, it was a good point. "Alright," Kevin said, "When can I start?"_

 _"Let's get the little one settled you can start right now," Ellen said, leading him to the back._

 **Last Chance Nebraska**

 **Present Day**

"So did it actually work?" Dean asked, "Taking Sam out of play before Azazel could get to him?"

"I won't know until it gets to the time I was seeing," Kevin explained, his eyes trailing to the widnow as he added, "But I really, really hope so."

Their eyes followed Kevin's gaze to corner table where a female hunter with faded blonde hair was nursing a brown-colored drink, with a weary gaze.

"Is that who I think it is?" Dean asked.

"Honestly, I don't know," Kevin replied, "I usually try to avoid her when she's here, she usually avoids other people, and I wasn't about to find out much about what happened to them after I -took Sam."

Sam and Dean were silent. A dozen different thoughts were spinning through their heads at once. Sure, this Kevin had done a bad thing, but it was for a good reasons. And despite the fallout, his efforts might not be in vain. In short, they weren't sure rather to damn him or praise them. Then again, it wasn't their place.

"We really should get going," Dean said, "We'll do it in the back, it'll only take a few minutes. Sorry for...freaking everyone else."

"It's alright," Kevin said, "You didn't know."

Sam and Dean went into the back, and put the spell together, than Sam said the words this time. " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The gust of wind started putting everyone in the bar on alert. Fortunately, the white light engulfed them before anyone could investigate.

This time when they came to they found themselves in what looked like a bedroom. Then as if to confirm it, they turn to see the bed, and their hearts froze when they saw who was in it.

A girl of about ten, with blonde hair done in braid, who was stirring at the noise of the commotion in her room. She sat up, and blinked a little, taking in the scene. "Dad?" She said at last, "Uncle Dean?"


	31. Who's That Girl?

"Hey, sweetie," Sam said, deciding to play along, "Sorry, we didn't mean to wake you up."

"When did you get back?" She asked.

"A little while ago," Sam replied, "We just wanted to, um...check on you."

"Oh," She responded, still half-asleep, "Is Uncle Dean okay?"

"Yeah, sweetheart," Dean replied, "Right as rain."

"Good," The girl replied, "I think I'm gonna go back to sleep now."

"Go ahead," Sam encouraged.

"Night, Dad, love you," The girl said, lying back down.

"Love you, too," Sam replied, his heart tugging a little.

Dean grabbed up the stuff and ran from the room.

"Well, that was interesting," Dean said, "You seem to get around, Sam."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Let's just get out of here before her real father shows up. "

Just then footsteps came from down the hall. A young woman with short curly hair appeared in the doorway. "Mr. Winchester," She gasped in surprise, "How..."

"It's kind of hard to explain..." Sam's voice trailed off.

Just then there was the sound of the door opening and Sam's voice calling out, "Lyla! Lyla, where are you?!"

"Up here!" The girl said nervously, "And something...something weird is going on. You need to get up here."

The sound of panic rushing upstairs filled the house and then Sam appeared on the stairs looking just as shocked as the baby-sitter's. "What the..." He began pulled himself together, "Get outside, wait for me by the car."

Lyla didn't have to be told twice. She was halfway down the stairs before Sam could pull his gun out.

"Woe, woe, woe," Sam said, holding up his hands as if in surrender, "It's not what you think...probably."

"Then what is it?" The Sam of that universe replied, tightening his grip on the gun, seconds away from pulling the trigger.

"We're you and Dean from another universe," Sam explained, talking so fast the words ran together.

Apparently the other Sam understood some of it, as he lowered his gun and said, "What?"

"We're you and Dean from another universe," He said, slower this time so it was actually coherent, " There was a witch, she did a spell, and since then we've been sliding through universes like nobody's business."

Dean gave his brother a look. "Like nobody's business? Really?"

"It was getting a bit monotonous," Sam replied.

"And what you were doing outside of Jess's room?" Sam asked.

"That where it put us," Sam explained, "It puts us near something familiar, and I guess DNA counts for that...hold on a second, did you just say her name was Jess?"


	32. Mine To Love

**Pala Alto, California**

 **2005**

 _"Whoa, there, easy tiger!" The intruder that had just landed on Sam said, and he realized the voice was familiar._

 _"Dean?" He exclaimed._

 _Dean laughed, amused at Sam's shock._

 _"You scared the crap out of me!" Sam exclaimed._

 _"That's cause you're out of practice," Dean replied, offering his little brother a hand up. Sam responded by grabbing Dean's hand and yanking, slamming his heel into Dean's back and Dean to the floor._

 _"Or not," Dean conceded._

 _Sam tapped his captive older sib twice where he was holding him._

 _"Get off of me," Dean protested._

 _Sam rolled to his feet and pulled Dean up. "What the Hell are you doing here?"_

 _"Well, I was looking for a beer," Dean replied nonchalantly. He put his hand on Sam's shoulders, shook once, then let go._

 _"What the Hell are you doing here?" Sam repeated._

 _"Okay," Dean responded, "All right. We gotta talk."_

 _"Uh, the phone?" Sam questioned._

 _"If I'd a called, would you have picked up?" Dean pointed out._

 _"Okay," Sam conceded, turning the light on, "I see your point. So, what's the big emergency?"_

 _Dean turned to look at him straight on. "Dad's missing," Dean began, "I need your help to find him."_

 _"What do you mean missing?" Sam replied, interest raised, but not panicking yet. Their father had gone missing before, but he was always fine when he turned up again._

 _"I mean, he was working in job and I can't get a hold of him," Dean replied._

 _"You mean, you weren't with him?" Sam asked._

 _"I was working my own gig," Dean replied._

 _"Dad let you go on hunting trip by yourself?" Sam balked._

 _"I'm twenty-six, dude," Dean responded, "So, are you coming with me or not?"_

 _"I'm sorry," Sam replied, "But I just can't hit the road with you."_

 _Those word were like a stab in the gut to Dean. "Why not?" He demanded, "It's just a weekend, Sammy, just to check this out. Okay, maybe a long weekend, but no more than that."_

 _"I have obligations here," Sam argued, "Responsibilities. I just can't up and leave."_

 _"Oh, like what?" Dean scoffed._

 _Sam was quiet for a minute, then said, "It would be better if I showed you. I should've done this a long time ago. Come on, follow me."_

 _"Sammy what's going-" Dean found himself having trouble with Sam's confident, long-legged gate._

 _"It's Sam," He cut him off tersely, "Now, shut up, or you'll wake her. I'm surprised you haven't already."_

 _"You gotta hottie stashed up in your room, Sammy?" Dean grinned, "You sly dog-"_

 _Dean trailed off as got to the threshold of Sam's bedroom. There was a queen-size bed in the room, the covers pulled diagonally across the bed where Sam must have got up in a hurry. But it wasn't that got his attention, nor the rickety dresser, or even the family picture from twenty-two years prior. It was the crib. The polished oak crib, with a mobile of farm animals. Dean found himself staring it, his head suddenly flooded and he was unable to think._

 _"Why is there..." Dean managed to get out, but then his voice trailed off again._

 _There was a plaintive mewl from the crib and quick as flash Sam was standing over it anxiously before scoping out a small child, of about one year of age, a girl if the soft blonde hair was any indication._

 _Dean blinked because none of this made any sense. There was a baby in Sam's apartment. Why was there a baby in Sam's apartment?_

 _Sam whispered something in the infant's ear before putting him in the crook of his arm, glaring almost definitely at Dean. "Dean this is Jessica, Jess," his tone turned softer, "Jess, this is your uncle, Dean."_

 _"What...I...you..." Dean sputtered, utterly at a loss for words._

 _Sam rolled his eyes. "Anytime you feel like being coherent, Dean." He said before turning his attention back to the kid, "Don't mind your uncle Dean. He's very silly sometimes. Why don't we wave hi?"_

 _The kid-Jess, Dean corrected himself and oh, God, Sam had a daughter- looks at him a little dubiously and then Sam pokes her stomach, and she giggles as she brings up her hand in a very uncoordinated attempt at a wave, and Dean was pretty sure his heart just swelled. In many ways she looked like her father. Their eyes were the same color and had that wide-opened smile that made people fall at Sam's feet when he was small._

 _Dean took a few steps forwards. "Hey, gorgeous," He said holding out his arm, and his heat swelled again when Sam handed her over without a moment of hesitation. "So I was looking for a beer, but it turned out your dad here's got something much better."_

 _Sam cleared his throat, and when Dean somehow managed to tear his attention away from the little heartbreaker currently resting her head on his shoulder, he's a little surprised to see his brother's eyes shining maybe a little too brightly._

 _"She looks like you," Dean comments at last._

 _"So, let me get this strait," Dean said, after Sam put Jessica back to bed and Dean finally got the desired beer, "You have a kid, a kid who's very near to a year old, and you didn't think it necessary to tell m-to tell us?"_

 _"I wanted to, I did," Sam began, obviously uncomfortable, "I must have picked up the phone a couple of dozen times. But I didn't know how you would react, how Dad would react...I was a scared. I don't know. It was a shitty thing to do, and if I had it to do over again I would, but I can't."_

 _Dean nodded. He knew it was about as close to an apology as he was going to get. "So what about the mother?"_

 _Sam took in a deep breath and Dean got a feeling this wasn't going to be a happy story. "Laura isn't ...the most...stable person," He shifted uncomfortably, "We weren't together when she found out she was pregnant, and she never told me. Probably never would have, if I hadn't had a friend who volunteered at the hospital who called me to tell me to get down there when she went into labor. We both thought she was going to keep Jess, and I'd do my best to be there. I'm no dead beat."_

 _"Of course you're not," Dean replied, finding the very thought almost laughable._

 _Sam blinked, surprised, as though he had forgotten who he was talking to. "Right. Anyway, it was kind of mess there, Laura had no idea what she was doing and she just couldn't cope, then one day, I'm watching her for the afternoon and she just didn't come back. " He almost choked on the words. The memory was still fresh enough to hurt. " So I went to court and got sole custody, and Laura has no say in Jess' life anymore."_

 _"Wow," Dean whistled through his teeth, then took another swing of his beer, "So...this is your version of the white picket fence, hun, Sammy?"_

 _Sam looked around, shrugged, but a big smile crept over his face. "Yeah, yeah, I guess it is."_

 _"Look at you, all respectable and shit," Dean grinned, and Sam grinned back._

 _"I know, right?"_

 _Dean sighed, and the good mood evaporated as quickly as it came. "Look, Sam..."_

 _"Yeah, I know," Sam cut him off, "The thing with Dad. You're sure he's just not on a bender? I mean, you know what's..." He dropped his gaze and Dean nodded, because it didn't need to be said. It almost the anniversary of their mother's death._

 _"That's not it. He left this message yesterday," Dean said, sitting his phone down and pressing play. John's voice came out through the phone, "Dean...something big is starting to happen...I need to try and figure out what's going on. Be very careful Dean. We're all in danger."_

 _Dean pressed stopped._

 _You know there's EVP on that?_

 _"Not bad, Sammy." Dean commented, "Kinda like riding a bike, isn't it?"_

 _Sam just shook his head._

 _"All right," Dean continued, "I slowed the message down, I ran it through a gold wave, took out the hiss, and this is what I got." He pressed play again, and this time a woman's voice rasped, "I can never go home..."_

 _"Never go home." Sam repeated, wondering what that meant._

 _"You know," Dean said, "In almost two years I've never bothered you, never asked you for a thing. Something I rather regret now, because..." His voice trailed off._

 _Sam looked away then sighed, then looked back. "All right. I'll go. I'll help you find him. But, I have to see if the woman who babysits Jess while I'm at work or class can take care of her over the weekend, and I have to be back first thing Monday, no matter what."_

 _"What's first thing Monday?" Dean asked_

 _"Law school interview," Sam explained, "And it's my whole future on a plate."_

 _Dean smirked. "I think I can managed that."_

 _Sam convinced Dean to stay the night. The next morning it takes them a half hour to leave, because first they had to wait for the babysitter to get there, then they had trouble parting with the little squirt, but eventually they got on the road._

 _ **Present Day**_

"Yeah, it's short for Jessica," The Sam from that universe replied, "You got a problem with that?"

"No," It was Dean who spoke up, "In fact, that's a beautiful name. And as my brother was saying it was probably just the DNA that made us wind up in her room, but you obviously have a lot on your plate here, so, if we could get this going..."

"Find," The Sam of that universe said, "But in my room. I don't want any blow-back from the spell or anything like that hurting her."

The pair gathered up their stuff and followed Sam down the hall. "I'm sorry about this," Sam was saying, "I'm just a little over-protective of her. There was this...incident when she was baby and I swore nothing like that was going to happen to her again."

"Do we even wanna know?" Dean asked.

 _ **Palo Alto**_

 _ **2005**_

 _"You want to come in?" Sam asked when Dean dropped him off, but the elder Winchester shook his head._

 _"Better not." He explained, "I gotta get a move on, go find Dad, let him know the good news."_

 _"Yeah," Sam hesitated before requesting, "I'd rather you didn't. Just...maybe call when you find him? It should come from me."_

 _Because you did so well with that before," Dean sighed, but gave in when Sam's expression darkened, "Yeah, okay, fine. But you promise you'll tell him. And for God's sake, pick up the phone when I call, will ya?"_

 _Some of the tension between the two of them faded, and Sam even laughed a little as he said, Yeah, I promise. I'll even call you myself, if I remember."_

 _"Don't strain yourself or anything," Dean rolled his eyes the switched the ignition again, "You take care, Sammy."_

 _Dean didn't wait for Sam to correct him, nor did he look back as he drove off. If he stepped on it, he could make it to Blackwater Ridge in about fifteen hours. He forced himself not to think about Sam or Jessica, or any of it. Dean wasn't abandoning his brother, he told himself, he was leaving Sam to the life he chose voluntarily, for himself. If circumstances were different, Sam might have come with him, but there's no way he'd drag a baby into this sort of life, and even if he wanted to, Dean wouldn't let him anyway._

 _So there was no reason to turn around. No reason to turn a possibly illegal u-turn and drive back as fast as the Impala can take him. No reason at all except a sudden, unshakeable urge to desire to see Sam one more time before he goes, to hold the baby he barely knows in his arms and hear her giggle again. Which is exactly what he did._

 _He pulled up outside in time to see a flicker glow in an upstairs and barley had time to register that it was Sam's room before he spirited up the stairs taking them two by two and kicked in the door. He was greeted by smoke and the familiar stench of sulfur. "Sam!"_

 _Dean didn't stopped to think, just ducked as low as he could and barreled towards Sam room. The bed was empty, the walls and ceiling alight, but not the floor, and when he looked up all he could see was the empty-eyed stared of the babysitter he had meant the end before, pinned to the ceiling, her face twisted in terror. "Sam!" He called out again, fearing his brother had met the same fate as the woman._

 _Then heard Sam calling out, "Jess!"_

 _Dean spotted his brother behind a wall of flame, arms above his head to protect himself from the worst of the heat as he tried desperately to get to where the crib is, or rather was. Because there was nothing left there, and Dean didn't really understand what he was seeing. Where there was a crib before there was nothing but smoke and roaring flame, like a black hole compose entirely of fire. For a second Dean was rooted to the spot, staring, enough time for Sam to hurl himself headlong into the inferno, still calling his little girl's name._

 _"Sam, no!" Dean shouted, throwing himself in after his brother. He cough Sam by his belt before he could be engulfed by the flames, hauling him back in an awkward move that sent them both to the ground. "No!" Sam shouted, fighting Dean as he tried to get them both out the door, "No!" Dean had to bodily force Sam out the door, Sam still struggling all the way. When Dean finally got them out, Sam collapsed to the ground, still calling for his daughter. "Jess!" He screamed in-between sobs, "Jess! No! Dean, I have to get back in there. Dean, please!" He tried to claw his way back up._

 _"You can't go back in there," Dean said, grabbing onto his brother, "She'd gone, Sammy! She's gone. I can't let you go back in there, you hear me?! She's gone!" Dean hauled Sam all the way into his lap, wrapping his arms around and locked his ankles around his legs in case Sam tried to make a break for the burning building, but all the fight had drained out of him, and he stayed put, shaking, until his eyes rolled back into his head and he went limp in Dean's arms._

 _The next hours are a blur of fire fighters trying to put out the flames, police keeping back gawkers while Dean got into the back of the ambulance with Sam, who was still unconscious. Sam was unconscious for the next two days. He inhaled a ton of smoke and he had second-degree burns on his arms and smaller burns all over the rest of his body. He stayed by Sam's side the whole time. When he woke up he had that look in his eyes that Dean had seen far too many times in the family of monster victims he interviewed under the guise of a cop or FBI or who knows what else. The ones who lost a brother, a sister, a parent, a child. The one's who have lost the most important thing in the world and don't know how to make sense of anything anymore._

 _Once Sam was awake he refused to stay in the hospital, so Dean somehow got them to let him check him out, even though Sam was still coughing and there was list roughly as long as Dean's arm as to how to treat the burn injuries. And so began Dean's attempt to nurse Sam back to health or some resemblance of it, which included force-feeding him food and pain medication, and threatening to tie him down to the bed. For the next week Dean took care of everything. He made the arrangements for the memorial -memorial because there wasn't even a body left, something the nearly made Dean puke when the police told him-and made sure Sam got there hoping to give him, he didn't know, closure or something._

 _Sam barely acknowledged anything at the funeral. He sat dried-eyed through the memorial which was mercifully short and free of talk of God or angels or being 'called home.' Many of the people there were crying openly and Dean wasn't exactly at his most cool and composed, and Sam just stands there, not reacting to anything, but looking as if he might break down at the drop of a hat. When the ceremony was over Dean lead Sam back to the Impala as quickly as possible trying to not to be concerned about the fact that the younger man hasn't spoke in 24 hours._

 _"You need some more painkillers, Sam?" Dean asked when they were back at the motel room. He was still unresponsive, but pliant, letting Dean move him around like an over-sized puppet. "You need anything? You need to tell me if your arms are hurting."_

 _"They're fine," Sam says at last, his voice cracking from grief and lack of use._

 _"Hey, it speaks," Dean forced a grinned, "Still, you should take some pill anyway, and let me take a look at your arms. And while I'm at it I might as well change the dressing now." He started to unwrap the bandages revealing wounds that were just starting to heal read and angry and still weeping in places. But at least they would heal. But there was emotional ones that never would. Not ever. Just scab over. Maybe not even that._

 _"Sam," Dean began, working on changing the dressing, "I know its early, but I need to know what you what it is you want to do, here."_

 _Sam just shakes his head. "You saw what happened."_

 _"Yeah," Dean replied, "I saw." There was no doubt about what had really caused the fire. And it wasn't faulty wiring like the cops said._

 _"Amber's dead because of me," Sam said, "Whatever that thing was, it killed her-and Jess, and don't tell me if was because Amber was at the wrong place at the wrong time. I I'd have been there..."_

 _"Then you'd be dead, too!" Dean bellowed fiercely, "God, Sam, you were there. Maybe not right away, but you were there at the end and you almost died. And no," he shook Sam by the shoulder when he saw the he was about to utter the words that should never be spoken, "don't you dare say what I know is about to come out of your mouth. Don't you damn well dare! No matter what else happened, I don't want a single freaking part of this world if you're not in it!"_

 _Sam looked at him a little dazed, then his face crumpled, and he let himself fall into Dean in the place where his shoulder met his neck. Dean could hear him breathing hard. "I want to go." He said at last._

 _Dean patted Sam's back. "Okay, we can go. Anywhere you want Sammy."_

 _"I want to find Dad." Sam declared, "And I want to hunt down the evil bastard that that did this and tear it apart, put it back together and then tear it apart again 'till I can't do it anymore."_

 _"Okay." Dean replied, "Okay, Sammy. And then we'll...we can't fix this, but I promise you, we'll find that evil son of a bitch and make it wish it was never born."_

 _Sam pulled away, his face set in a mask of desperate anger, his eyes clear. "We got work to do."_

 _ **Cabin In The Woods, Missouri**_

 _ **2006**_

 _"You've got to be kidding me," Dean said, annoyance and anger overcoming any fear he might have, as he and Sam were pinned to the walls of the cabin forced to listen to John's -or rather the demon possessing John-monolog._

 _"What?" The demon responded, "You're the only on that can have a family? You destroyed my children. How would you feel if I killed your family?" He smiled mockingly at Dean. "Oh, that's right. I forgot. I did. Still, two wrongs don't make a right."_

 _"You son of bitch." Dean seethed._

 _"I wanna know why," Sam spoke up, "Why'd you do it?"_

 _The demon turned to Sam. "You mean why did I kill Mommy and poor, innocent Amber?"_

 _"And Jess," Sam added. He was going to make sure the demon owned up to that as well._

 _"Is that what you think happened?" The demon said for a moment surprised, then a wicked smile crossed his face, "I got news for you, Sammy. Things didn't exactly go down the way you think it did."_

 _"What does that mean?!" Sam demanded, alarm bells being raised._

 _"I admit, killing pretty little Jess was my original plan," The demon said, "She was getting in the way."_

 _"In the way of what?" Sam asked._

 _"My plans for you, Sammy." The demon replied, "You...and all the children like you. Which now includes Jessica. I mean, she was a little old, but I've worked with older, when I had to. Still had to take her, though, to get you back in the game. It was the only thing I knew for sure would get you going."_

 _"She's alive?" Sam breathed, that being the only part of the demon's statement that got through to him. For him it was the only part that mattered. If she was like physic too, he could work with that. But she was alive. "Where is she?!" He started struggling, "Where is she, you son of a Bitch?! Where did you take her?!"_

 _"Don't worry, Daddy," The demon said, "She's fine. She use to cry for you, but now...I don't think she even misses you anymore."_

 _"Leave him alone!" Dean shouted, convinced the demon was probably yanking Sam's chain, just for the fun of it, "Leave him alone and just get it over with!"_

 _ **Cold Oak, South Dakota**_

 _ **2007**_

 _"No!" Sam screamed as he watched his mother being pulled onto the ceiling, "No!"_

 _"I don't think you want to see the rest of this," The yellow-eyed demon said, "But hey, since you've been such a trooper, I think I'm gonna give a little something. Some incentive if you will." Then he snapped his fingers._

 _Sam jolted awake in the abandoned house and South Dotaka._

 _"Sam!" Jake began, darting into the room, but then he saw something that made his eyes widen in disbelief, and say. "W-where did she come from?"_

 _Sam turned around to where Jake was pointing and was utterly shocked to see a little girl standing there in an embroidered royal blue dress, her hair braided into two braids with matching ribbons._

 _"Jess," Sam breathed in disbelief. It was her. She was bigger than she was when she was taken-which made since, since she was two now- but it was her. It was Jessica, his daughter. Within seconds Sam had scooped her up in his arms, pressing his head into her shoulder and he wrapped her in an embraced filled with all the grief and fear every second without her brought, and relief that she was back in his arms. And he was never going to let her go again. "My little girl," He whispered into her hairline, as tears formed in his eyes, "My beautiful little girl."_

 _"Sam?" Jake called out, "What's going on?"_

 _Sam managed to look up. "This in my daughter."_

 _"Okay, now I'm even more confused," Jake, "For one, you have a daughter? Second, what's she doing here?"_

 _Suddenly Sam's heart sank. Why had the yellowed eyed demon given her back? He had said something about incentive, but incentive to do what? To survive his twisted tests? To lead the demon army? Then another thought that had been bothering him since Jess being alive became a possibility: that the demon had done something to her to, made her like him...fed her his blood, he realized. Was she in this sick contest as well? She was just a toddler, there's no way she could survive!_

 _"I don't know," Sam said at last, swallowing tickly, "But I have a feeling it's not good."_

 _After Jake finally explained the reason he was looking for Sam, that Ava was missing, the pair spilt up, Jake taking the barn and hotel, Sam taking the houses._

 _Sam was walking around the little houses, Jess in makeshift papoose constructed out of an old backpack they found and belt. It was unbelievably dangerous, taking her with him, but it was unbelievably dangerous to leave her ask well, because she couldn't even fight back if demons came after her. If was damned if you do damned if you don't situation. So they took damned option number one._

 _Within a few minutes of beginning his search, Sam heard Ava screaming. He hurried inside the building the screams came from and found her pointing at Andy who was on the floor, dead._

 _"Sam!" She shouted, still pointing at Andy's body, "I just found him like this."_

 _"What happened?" Sam demanded._

 _"I don't know!' Ava screamed, distraught._

 _"How'd that get in?" Sam continued, "Where were you?"_

 _"I just went to get some water from the well." Ava offered in way of explanation, "I was only gone maybe, like, two minutes!"_

 _"You shouldn't have gone outside. Ava, we have to stay in here-" Sam stopped when he noticed the salt was broken, "Who did that?"_

 _"I don't know," Ava replied, "Maybe Andy-"_

 _"Andy wouldn't do that," Sam snapped, "Ava that line wasn't broken when I left. Ava."_

 _"What?" Ava balked, "You don't think that I-"_

 _But it was all snapping together in Sam's mind now. "I'll tell you what I think: five months. You're the only one with all that time you can't account for. And that headache you got? Right when that demon got Lilly."_

 _"What are you trying to say?" Ava asked._

 _"What happened to you?" Sam responded._

 _"Nothing!" She insisted._

 _Sam stared her down until a minute later, then at last Ava dropped the act, even laughing a little. "Had you going though, didn't I?" She wiped her eyes, "Yeah. I've been here a long time. And not alone, either. People just keep showing up. Children, like us. Batches of three or four at a time."_

 _"You killed them?" Sam asked, though he already knew the answer, "All of them?"_

 _"I'm the undefeated heavyweight champ," Ava bragged._

 _"Oh, my God," Sam gasped. The innocent girl he had met five months before was now a cold blooded with who knows how many kills under belt. She had killed Lilly and now Andy. And on top of all that Sam had brought Jess right to her._

 _"Don't think God has much to do with this, Sam." Ava commented._

 _"How could you?" Sam asked._

 _"I had no choice," Ava explained, "It's me or them. After a while, it was easy. It was even kind of fun. I just stopped fighting it?"_

 _"Fighting what?" Sam asked._

 _"Who we are, Sam," Ava answered, coolly, "If you'd just quit your hand-wringing and open yourself up, you have no idea what you can do. The learning curve is so fast, it's crazy, the switches the just flip in your brain." She laughed, "I can't believe I started out just having dreams. Do you know what I can do now?"_

 _"Control demons," Sam answered._

 _"Ah, you are quick on the draw," Ava complimented, before putting her hands on her head. "Yeah, I'm sorry, Sam. But it's over."_

 _As could of black smoke came to the window. Just as it was about to enter the room, Jack appeared behind Ava and twisted her neck, instantly killing her, and, as if on some sort of cue, the demonic smoke disappeared._

 _"Thanks," Sam said, taking the papoose off his back and taking out, Jess, who had started wailing. "It's alright," He soothed, "It's over."_

 _After they got Jess calmed down, Sam and Jake headed outside. "I think we can make it out of here now." Sam said._

 _"But the Acheri demon..." Jack began._

 _"No, no, no," Sam assured him, "Ava was summoning it, controlling it. It shouldn't come back now that she's dead. We gotta go."_

 _"Not, "we" Sam," Jake replied, "Only one of us is getting out of here. I, I'm sorry."_

 _"What?" Sam responded._

 _"I had a vision," Jake explained, "That yellow-eyed demon or whatever it was, he talked to me. He told me how it was."_

 _"No, Jake, listen." Sam urged, seeing where this was going, "You can't listen to him."_

 _"S-Sam, he's not letting us go," Jake reasoned, "Now, if we don't play along, he'll kill us both and probably your daughter, too. Now I-I like you man. I do. But do the math here. What good's it do for both of us to die? Now, I can get out of here. I get close to the demon, I can kill the bastard. Look, I promise, I won't hurt Jess, and I'll make sure she gets out safe."_

 _That's the part that really scared Sam. The idea of Jessica alone at the mercy of the man who just killed him, a man under the influence of not only demon, but this demon, truly deeply terrified him, a thousand times more than the idea of dying himself. "You come with me, we can kill him together," Sam said, in a desperate attempt to convince him not attack him._

 _"How do I know you won't turn on me?" Jake asked._

 _"I won't." Sam assured him._

 _" I don't know that." Jake replied._

 _"Okay," Sam said, "Look." He took out his knife, showed it to Jake and placed it on the ground. "Just come with me, Jake." Sam urged one finial time, "Don't do this. Don't play into what it wants."_

 _After a pause, Jake put his weapon on the ground._

 _Relief pulsed through Sam body to the point it was palpable. "Okay," Sam sighed with that relief._

 _Suddenly, Sam felt a sharp pain as Jake punched him with his super strength, causing him to fly through the air. For a few seconds the only thing he was aware of was Jess wailing again, as Jack approached them, kicking over a fence. Even though he was winded from the blow, Sam rose himself up and took her off his back and began looking her over to see the damage. By then Jake had gotten over to them and was about to get a kick in while Sam was distracted, when he saw Jess. Her face was red from crying and she was bruised, and there was a thin line of blood trickling down her forehead. In that moment it hit Jake what he had done. Not only had he attacked Sam, but he attacked a child. He knew Jess was there and knew she could have been hurt, but he didn't think. He lower his foot down slowly. "Oh my God," He gasped, "Is she..."_

 _"I'm not sure," Sam replied, all his attention on his daughter, "Nothing broken, but I can't tell if she has a concussion without any actual medical equipment."_

 _"Then let's get you two somewhere that has some," Jake said offering a hand to Sam._

 _Sam looked at the hand hesitantly._

 _"Look, Sam," Jake said, "I'm sorry. I'm not that far gone. Now, let's get out of here."_

 _Suddenly they heard a voice that Sam recognized as Dean's calling Sam's name in the distance. "That's my brother," He informed Jake, grabbing him by the wrist, "Let's go."_

 _"Sam!" Dean shouted, he and Bobby scanning the area with flashlights._

 _Sam hurried in the direction of his brother's voice, holding Jessica to his chest with one hand keeping a tight grip on Jake's wrist with the other, just in case. He saw Dean and Bobby, approaching towards them, and the two groups continued towards each other in the rain. "Dean!" Sam called out in relief and happiness._

 _As they stopped in front of each, other, Dean saw Sam wasn't alone. "Is that...Dean's voice trailed off as he caught the toddler in his flashlight beam._

 _"Yeah," Sam replied, "Yeah it is."_

 _ **Sioux Falls South Dakota**_

 _ **Six Hours Later**_

 _Jake was on the couch at Bobby's house, handcuffed to a nearby table, just in case he tried something again. And since in the event of that happening the cuff wouldn't hold, Dean and Bobby was watching him. Not that Jake could blame them, though. They were able to check Jess out, and thankfully she hadn't got a concussion, in fact the worst injury was a small gash to the head, and now she and her father were asleep upstairs. Dean and Bobby were still trying to figure out what the yellow eyed demon's plan was, going over the evidence they had gathered. Jake offered to help, but Dean firmly told him they didn't want it. He wasn't very happy when he found out what happened before they showed up. Again, Jake didn't blame him._

 _Jake was dozing off, but awoke suddenly to see the demon standing in front of him. "Howdy, Jake." He said in the flippidant manner of his._

 _Jake felt a thrill of panic. He was about to call for the others when it hit him. "I'm-I'm dreaming aren't I?"_

 _"I got a genius on my hands," The yellow eyed demon said to himself, "Did you really think I let you two get away that easy? I'll admit, you two had me thrown for a loop there, but, we still have some decisions to make."_

 _"Go...to Hell," Jake said._

 _"Been there." The demon said casually, "Done that."_

 _"Everything you put me and Sam through-" Jake began, "Dragging us to that place, making me almost kill him-hurt his little girl..."_

 _"That was my mistake," The yellow eyed demon admitted, "Jess is in the next gen, she wasn't supposed to be a target, I just thought Sam would go all Papa Bear, and..."_

 _Jake blinked in surprise. Was he actually admitting to slanting things in Sam's favor?_

 _"Alright, I admit, that's sort of cheating on my part," The demon said, as if reading Jake's mind, which for all anyone knew he could be, "What can I say, Sam's my favorite, but I still got to know for sure, so you need to get up there and give it your best shot. No more tricks, I promise."_

 _"The only thing I'm going is wake up, help these guys hunt you down and kill you," Jake replied._

 _"You know others have tried." The demon advised, "Your new friends included. It's not that easy, you can ask them if you want. Trust me, Jake. You're gonna want to do this."_

 _"Why?" Jake shot back._

 _" Jess might be off limits," The yellow eyed demon replied, "But that dear old mom of yours, that adorable little sister, they're not, and...well, let's just say I can make certain that they both live long enough to know the chewy taste of their own intentions." He paused to let the treat sink in, "No Jake, I'm not bluffing."_

 _"And if I tried to take out Sam and he kills me?" Jake asked._

 _"Then they're safe," The demon replied._

 _In that moment, Jake knew what he had to do._

 _Meanwhile Sam was upstairs in a bed with Jess, one hand resting gently on her stomach, when he suddenly woke as well. He sat up and saw the yellow eyed demon sitting on the window seal, waiting patiently._

 _Sam reached for the holy water on the bedside table. "Easy there, tiger," The demon smirked, "I'm not actually here."_

 _"What do you want?" Sam demanded, though he feared he had a pretty good idea._

 _"It's like I told you earlier," Yellow eyes answered, "I just need one of you, and since two of you are still breathing...well, that means the pageant's still on, it's just gonna end somewhere different than I thought."_

 _"I won't do it," Sam declared firmly, "I won't play your game, neither will Jake."_

 _The yellow eyed demon chuckled, shaking his head. "You think that now, Sammy, but you see, I know exactly what buttons to push to get you two to do what I want. Take that precious angel beside you," He pointed to Jessica and in spite of himself Sam turned to look at her, "If Jake hadn't backed down, would you have killed him to protect her?"_

 _Sam didn't response, but he knew the answer was yes. He die for her in a heartbeat, but he would also kill for her in that same heartbeat. Hell, if it meant she was safe, he'd murder the world._

 _"Now, Jake has to have loved ones too," The demon continued, "People he would do anything for as well."_

 _A knot formed in Sam's stomach as he saw where this was going. "What did you do?"_

 _Just then Sam heard raised voices from downstairs, things being thrown around._

 _"Time to wake up Sam," The demon said._

 _Sam jolted awake to find that scuffle from his dreams was really happening downstairs. He jumped from the bed, and ran out the door, shutting and locking it behind him. "Okay," He could heard Bobby saying, "Just take it easy there, son."_

 _"And if I don't?" Jake's voice asked, and Sam's heart sank._

 _"Wait and see," Dean's voice said, and Sam's heart did a double flip into his throat. Dean had been hankering to take a shot at Jake ever since they explained what happened._

 _Sam hurried down stair, and found Jake with a gun in hand, surrounded by Bobby, Dean, and Ellen, all with their guns drawn as well. Jake turned when he saw Sam and leveled the gun at Sam. "I'm sorry," Jake said, his voice trembling at little, "But I was right before. There's no way out of this."_

 _"Yes, there is," Sam replied, "We just need to find him. Please, don't make us do this."_

 _"He knows where my family is," Jake replied, "I have no choice." Then before anyone could react, he turned the gun on himself and shot._

 _Everybody looked at each other, suddenly all enraged that it had come to this. "We have to get this bastard," Ellen seethed._

 _"We will," Sam said, "I have an idea."_

 _A few minutes later, Sam marched out into the center of the scrap yard, visibly seething with rage. "Alright, you son of a bitch," He screamed out, "You got your general, now come and get me !"_

 _"A little-melodramatic, don't you think, Sam?" A voice behind him said. He turned around to see the yellow eyed demon, looking almost smug._

 _"Considering what just happened, no," Sam replied, "But I'm ready now."_

 _The demon broke into a smile. "You don't have glad I am to hear that Sam."_

 _"On one condition," Sam added, before pointing to the house and practically shouting, "Everyone in that house is off limits. That means Jess, Dean, Bobby, Ellen, all of them."_

 _"Alright, I get it," The yellow eyed demon replied, "Don't worried they'll be protected. All you have to do is do what I say."_

 _A few seconds later Sam was speeding off in the Impala. Hearing the car speeding off, Dean busted through the front door just in time to see a cloud of dust. "Sam!" He shouted, "Sam, stop! Come back! Damitt!"_

 _As the dust faded a blue truck pulled up beside Dean, and the front passenger seat opened. Dean climbed in, shut the door, and they drove off._

 _Sam drove all night and half of the next day, until at last he turned on a back road and parked the car in front of a railroad track. He got out of the car and looked around After a few moments he turned around to see the Yellow eyed demon standing behind him._

 _"So," The demon said, "Did you have a nice trip?"_

 _"I did what you said," Sam responded, "Now what?"_

 _"Fifty miles thataway," He pointed in the direction opposite of where Sam was standing, the railroad tracks, "There's a cemetery. A crypt. You got to open that for me. Think you can manage that, sport?"_

 _"Why can't you do it yourself?" Sam challenged._

 _"I think you know why," The demon replied._

 _Sam looked at the track and suddenly it all clicked together. Before Jake went a ballistic they had found some maps of private railways built by Samuel Clot._

 _"It's a giant Devil's Trap," Sam gasped._

 _"Bingo," The demon said._

 _"That's what you need me for," Sam continued, "You can't get pass it. You need a human."_

 _"Right again, Sam," The demon confirmed, "But if you're gonna open that crypt for me, you're gonna need a key." He pulled the Clot from his jacket pocket and held it in the air._

 _Sam's heart leapt. This was exactly what they were hopping would happen. "The Clot's the key?"_

 _"Yep." The demon confirmed ,holding out the gun, "Here, take it."_

 _Sam took the gun, then cocked it and aimed it at the demon._

 _"Oh my." The demon said, fanning surprise, "I'm shocked at this unforeseen turn of events. Go ahead, Sam, squeeze that trigger. Get your revenge. This'll all be over. Unless, you know, my friends find out what happened and take their revenge. And don't think it will be you they go after. It'll probably be Bobby or Ellen first, maybe they'll get the both at once. Then it will be Dean. And finally sweet, little, innocent, helpless, Jessica. Let me tell you something, Samuel, aside from the while kidnapping thing, I took good care of her. Spoilt her, even. But the others...well, they won't be as nearly as nice." He paused, looked around, then said," Then again, as the daughter of the general, no one would dare touch her. In fact, they'd fall at her feet when she walked passed. All because they fear her father. Whaddaya say, Sam? It's your call."_

 _Sam acted like he was considering it for a minute. "I say," He began, "That this is from our mom, you son of a bitch." Then he fired before the demon could react. As the others came into view he fired again, saying, "And this if for our dad." If the energy that just pulsed through his body was any indication, the demon was either dead or dying, but Sam fired again, saying, "And this is for Amber." He continued to fire, saying, "And this is for what you did to me, and all those other kids." Then he fired one finial time saying, "And this is for Jess."_

 _The corpse fell to the ground, and for a second everybody just started at it, astonished, then stared at each other, and at last Dean said, "Damn, Sam, you could've gave me a turn."_

 _"Sorry," Sam replied, "I just kind of got a roll there." He looked at the Colt and said, "Also I think this thing is out of ammo. I mean, you could pistol-whip the body if you want."_

 _"Well, it's actually his body," Dean pointed out, "It's just the guy he was possessing. Doing anything to his corpse? So not cool."_

 _"Good point." Dean replied, walking up to Sam, "At least we can check that off the to do list." He laughed a little._

 _"I kind of can't believe it, Dean." Sam said, "I mean, our whole lives, everything...has been prepping for this, and now..."He chuckled, "What do we now?"_

 _"First thing we do," Dean said, throwing an arm over Sam's shoulder, "Is this you back to that daughter of yours."_

 _"Sounds good to me," Sam agreed, "But can you take the first turn driving, I think I'm about to pass out."_

 _Dean laughed out loud. "Sure thing, little brother," He said, "Sure thing."_

 _ **Sioux Falls South Dakota**_

 _ **Two Weeks Later**_

 _Dean rang the doorbell of the narrow two-story duplex with its jalousie front porch that he found himself standing on. Dean had to admit, Sam had made a good choice in housing. It was in good condition with a yellow paint job, and brown singled roof. And according to Sam the rent wasn't too bad. And, of course, it was near people he knew._

 _Sam opened the door, looking a little harried._

 _"Looks like you got started without me," Dean said, peaking into the living room and seeing boxes._

 _"Just getting it in," Sam said, "I still need to get it out. Come on in." As Dean stepped in Sam called out, "Jess, look who's here."_

 _Jess looked up from what a very animated conversation with her favorite white plush rabbit, and beamed, "Unca Dean!" Then toddled over to Dean, hugging his bottom legs._

 _"Hey, sweetheart," Dean said, scooping her up in his arms and spinning her around, making her squeal in delight._

 _"You're gonna make her puke," Sam protested._

 _"Puke washes out, Sam," Dean Replied._

 _"Suit yourself, then," Sam said, "You want the tour before we get started?"_

 _After Sam showed him off the place, which had the basic set-up of a flat, living room in the front, dining room in the middle, kitchen in the rear, three bedrooms and a bath upstairs, they said Jess in the playpen Sam received in the impromptu baby shower they had a few days after killing Yellow Eyes, and set to work unloading boxes._

 _"So this is really the plan," Dean asked as they carried the dull, stained dented couch Sam had found on someone's curb, "Nine to five job keeping books at a hardware store, planted roots, completely out of the life?"_

 _"I don't want Jess growing up in the life," Sam explained, as they brought the couch through the door way, "And I want to give her stability. I though you understood."_

 _"I do, I'm just double-checking," Dean replied, as he tried to hold up his end of the couch, "Slow down will you?"_

 _Sam slowed his pace. "And of course, we don't want the wrong people finding out the wrong things, you know what I mean?"_

 _Dean knew. They had no clue whether Yellow Eye's death would stop powers from developing in the new generation he had created. And given how Gordon had reacted, they didn't want word getting out to any other hunters that Jess had possibly been turned._

 _As they sat the couch down Dean noticed something. "You know for a guy who's out, you, ah, seem to have a lot of salt lines."_

 _"Yeah, and if you look under the rugs, you'll find Devil's Trap," Sam replied._

 _"The mat outside or the one inside?" Dean asked._

 _"Both," Sam replied, "Retiring doesn't mean I'm suddenly stupid. If something does show up, I'm gonna be ready for it."_

 _Tried, the two collapsed on the couch. "And you know," Sam began, glancing over at Dean, "If it's a real emergency, like, you have no one else, you're hurt and it's fifteen minutes to the end of the world, you can tag me in."_

 _"Thanks," Dean said, two exhausted to say anything else. Sam didn't have that much, but for some reason it took a lot of effort to pull out._

 _"But only if you pick up when I call," Sam added, "And come over as much as humanly possible."_

 _"I think I can manage that," Dean promised, "So, anything else you need."_

 _For some reason Sam's eyes glanced over to Jessica, who, seeing she was being watched, gave him a smile and a little wave._

 _"No," He said, "Just this."_

 **Sioux Falls**

 **Present Day**

"Probably not," The Sam of the universe said ushering into his bedroom. "How long does this usually take? I need to get downstairs to take Lyla home and check on Dean."

When Sam received a pocket-dial from Dean that sounded like the elder Winchester was seconds from death, the ex-hunter didn't hesitate to rally the others and spring to hisrescue.

 _"_ Well, you don't actually need to be here for it," Sam said.

That universe's Sam gave him look that sent chills down his spine.

"Right, overprotective," Sam said and started throwing ingredients in the pot, whispering to Dean, "Is that what it's like when I-"

"Worst sometimes," Dean replied.

"Sorry," Sam replied, then seeing they were finished, began the spell, began, " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

As the wind picked up and started rushing through the room, Dean said, "Yeah, maybe he was right to be worried about blowback. "


	33. Another Mark

This time when the light cleared, it was replaced by billows of gray smoke.

"What was that?!" A familiar, but alarmed voice asked, "Does that..."

"No," A female voice replied, "That's not suppose to happen. At all. I-I don't know what that is."

As they smoke cleared, they saw, Castiel, and that female angel he had been hanging out with lately, whose name they couldn't remember except that it began with an h and was relatively normal. They weren't exactly trying to figure it out right now as they were more focused on the knife she was grabbing.

"Wow, there girl," Dean spoke up, quickly, "There's no need for that we-we come in peace."

Cas grabbed her wrist, easing his own protective stance. "Look," He said, pointing to some ingredients that had spilled out from the duffle bag onto the floor.

"Oh," The female angel, whatever her name was, said, then looking over to the Winchesters, added, "Parallel universes?"

"Yeah," Dean replied, "We're just trying to get to back to ours. We didn't mean to startle anyone."

"It's alright," The woman replied.

"If you just let us put our spell together, we'll be on our way." Sam added.

"Of course." The woman replied.

It was then they noticed the odd marks of each angel's left hand. The woman's was mostly covered by her blazer, but they could see little teardrops swirling up her hand, like a backwards rainstorm. Castiel had his trench coat off and his sleeve rolled up, so his could be seen in full: It ran halfway down his arm, a first a block of black ink, becoming more fluid as it went down to his hand where it split apart and looped over the side of his hand onto his palm, ending in sharp points just over the back of his hand.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Dean asked, "What's with the ink?"


	34. How To Save A Life

**AN: I'll be going out of town this weekend so as per usually not-being-able-to-post-on-Saturday protocol, I'm posting a little early. Time for some clarity about those tats.**

"You mean you don't know?" Cas replied," How could you not?"

"Another universe, honey," The female angel said, "Things are probably different there for angels."

"If by that you mean they don't have weird tattoos on their arms, then yes," Sam replied, "So what are they?" Now his interest was piqued as well.

Castiel got this grave expression-well, even graver than he usually looked, as he said, "A mark of our persecution."

 _ **Lawrence, Kansas**_

 _ **Six Months Ago**_

 _"So this is it?" Dean asked as the his boss lead him to the warding-covered hallway._

 _"Yep," His boss, Victor Hendrickson replied, "The Angel Cell Block."_

 _The young corrections officer gulped as he surveyed the eerily quiet hall, coded with creepy doodling, one other guard standing at the door. How he let Benny talk him into taking his shift, he'd never know._

 _"I read in your files that you've had the training for this block," Hendrickson said, double checking everything._

 _"Yeah," Dean replied. He had took series of classes required to work on this block on a bar bet. It was a decision he was regretting at this moment._

 _"I still have to go over the basics with you," Hendrickson explained, "The angels are to be sedated at all times. They don't always go completely unconscious, but it's usually keeps them docile. In the case something does happen, the procedure is to trank them," Hendrickson pointed to the tranquilizer gun Dean had been given, "If it's really bad you're authorized to use lethal force. You're also required to look through the slot every hour on the hour to make sure no funny business is going on. Don't talk to the angels, don't let them talk to you. Right now there are only two angels. You'll be watching our newest arrival. If you need any help, ask Trenton."_

 _The man Hendrickson was referring to reached out and shook Dean's hand, "Call me, Cole."_

 _"Now that that's done, I have some paperwork to fill out." Hendrickson said, "Good luck Winchester."_

 _And with that, he left, leaving Dean alone with Cole._

 _"It's Dean right?" Cole asked._

 _"Yeah," Dean replied taking his spot by the door._

 _"Don't worry, Dean," Cole said, giving Dean a reassuring smile, "We hardly ever have any trouble from these guys, and no one's ever died. Relax, everything will be fine."_

 _That made Dean feel a little better, but it also reinforced that Benny so owed him for this._

 _Everything went fine for the first hour. Then Dean pulled back the slot, revealing and dark-haired figure in a tan coat, on his knees, head bowed in the middle of a room covered with even more angel warding. At the sound of the slot he lifted up his head revealing the most intense blue eyes Dean have ever seen. It felt like they were staring into Dean's very soul._

 _"Dean!" Cole said snapping his fingers to get his attention._

 _Dean jolted back to reality. "Sorry," He said, "Don't know what got into me."_

 _"These angels," Cole said, "They do things to your mind sometimes. You'll get use to it."_

 _"I really hope I don't stay here long enough for that to happen," Dean replied._

 _That was enough time for the angel to notice its fellow prisoner, a prim-looking female Seraph, and got closer to the slot, calling out, "Sister?"_

 _When she didn't respond, he tried again, "Sister, please, just talk to me! I know in Heaven I am of an inferior caste, but in this wilderness of exile, aren't we all equals?!"_

 _"Hey!" Cole shouted, leaning over and banging on the door, "That's enough out of you!" He was about to go for his trank gun when Dean reached out to stop him. He saw something in the angel's eyes, fear, desperation. The poor creature was convinced he was going to die soon, and he just wanted to hear someone's voice before he did, maybe have one last conversation._

 _"You can talk to me," Dean offered._

 _Now the poor angel was at the back of the cell, in an almost defensive position, his eyes wide._

 _"Dean, what the Hell are you doing?" Cole hissed. This broke about fifteen different kinds of protocol._

 _"Look at him, Cole," He said, gesturing to the creature in the cell, "He's afraid."_

 _Cole looked in the cell, and seeing that what Dean had said was gross understatement, felt a pang of pity for their captive. "Alright," He said, "I'm gonna turn my back, you do what you gotta do."_

 _"Hey," Dean said softly, trying to coax the angel out from the corner, "My name's Dean, this is Cole."_

 _"Leave me out of this," Cole said, edging further away from the scene._

 _Dean ignored him, saying, "What's yours?"_

 _The angel looked up at him, "What's my what?" He asked in gravely baritone._

 _"Your name," Dean replied patiently._

 _"Castiel," The angel answered._

 _"That's a nice name," Dean replied, "So how long have you been in here?"_

 _"Two days, I think," Castiel replied._

 _"Well, that's not long," Dean said reassuringly, "Nice little thing like you, someone will snatch you up soon enough."_

 _Dean was barely old enough to walk when the Fall happened, but he knew the ramifications of it. It was bedlam for the first few years. No one knew why all the angels have fallen, something they did, some sort of test from God, summoning ritual gone really, really wrong, no one knew. Though the angels didn't require food or any of the other necessities of life requires by normal humans, the sudden lack of room on the planet was disconcerting. It was a boon for the church, though. Standing room only. At least for those who weren't so devastated by their entire belief system being shattered that they killed themselves. And then there was the fear that these new creatures posed a threat to humanity. Granted, the angels didn't help themselves. Shattered, and shaken, several of them reacted with violence, dividing into warring factions, and humans got caught in the crossfire. As a way of steaming the tide, the nations of the world subjugated the species. Some countries forced them into sectors, separate from humans. Others tagged them to keep tract of them. The harshest method was killing them almost immediately on capture. At least until angel rights' activists began to protest pointing out that lest than half of the angel population had been involved in the Incidents. And so, the Claiming system was born. Upon capture an angel was given two weeks, and if a human claimed them, bonding them, they were safe. When the two weeks were up, if no one came forward to claim them, the angel was put down._

 _"And what then?" Castiel asked, "Wind up in the fights? Selling my body to people attracted to angels? Being worked to death in some sweat shop?"_

 _Dean paused a minute. While things like that were strictly prohibited, he knew the system could be abused that way. "There are safeguards in place to keep that from happening," Dean replied. Only one angel was allowed per-person, and in addition to keeping track of claimed angels, the registry kept people from double dipping._

 _"There are ways to get around those," Castiel pointed out, "I had a friend die from what they did to him in one of those places. They used him up and tossed him out behind some trash cans like he was garbage. I just happened to find him." He paused a minute, a look of anguish on his face. "His back was ripped opened, and he had burns and cuts everywhere. I tried to heal him, but...there was too much damage. He died in my arms." Now the angel's eyes shined with unshed tears. He quickly whipped them away, hoping his captors didn't see._

 _Dean's heart clenched inside his chest. He could tell from the look on his face that the horrible incident he just relayed was seared into Castiel's memory, and it still hurt. And now he was certain the same thing was going to happen to him. Dean just wanted to try to ease his fears a little a bit, somehow. "There's always the church," Dean offered, "We got novivces coming in here from one denomination or another a couple of times a week." It had became a requirement of many monasteries and convents to claim an angel as part of taking one's vows. "Right Cole?" He figured Cole would know better than he was._

 _"Staying out this," Cole replied, "But yeah, give or take."_

 _"So my options are death, enslavement, or being locked away in a cloister the rest of my life," Castiel said bitterly, "Which is only as long as my bonded's."_

 _"Aren't you a little ray of sunshine," Dean said, sarcastically, but good naturedly._

 _Castiel blinked, not getting Dean's attempt at levity._

 _"Never mind." Dean replied._

 _"Can I ask you a question, Dean?" The angel asked._

 _"Sure," Dean said, though he was afraid of where this was going._

 _"I wasn't involved in any of the Incidents," Castiel began," I've kept my head down, stayed out trouble, never hurt anyone, in fact, when I was caught I was trying to help someone."_

 _Dean nodded._

 _"So why am I here?" Castiel's eyes had the intense look in them that had entranced Dean earlier._

 _Dean didn't have an answer._

 _For the rest of the day Dean couldn't stop thinking about Castiel. The angel had done nothing wrong, and yet he was going to spin the last two weeks of his life sedated in cold, barren cell, then killed, just for being an angel. And if not he was going to be carted off to an uncertain fate, completely at the mercy of whoever claimed him. It wasn't fair. It wasn't just. And there was nothing Dean could do about it. Until, he realized, there was._

 _The second he could Dean picked up his cell phone and called his little brother. "Hey, Sam," He said, after his brother picked up, "What's the procedure for claiming an angel?"_

 _The next day, someone opened the door to Castiel's cell. Groggy from sedatives, he looked up and saw two men standing there, one of them holding a pair of sigil-covered chains. They walked up to him raising his head while the other one put a shackle around his neck. Then after securing his hands behind his back and shackling his lead, they pulled him up by the neck chain and lead him out of his cell and down the hall._

 _Chained and sluggish from the drugs they kept giving him, it was hard for Castiel to keep up with the officers. His mind was spinning. What was going on? Where were they taking him? They couldn't being taking him to be put down, it had only been three days!_

 _"Get the lead out, angel!" One of the men said, pulling on the chain, causing Cas to nearly topple over but the other man caught him. "What the Hell Macavoy?!" A voice Castiel was surprised he recognized exclaimed, "Don't do that!"_

 _"It's not my fault the wing-nut's clumsy," Macavoy said, uncaring._

 _Castiel cringed a little bit at the slur._

 _"You try walking with your hands tied behind your back," The other man, Cole, if Cas was remembering correctly, spat back as he took the chain._

 _The rest of the walk was uneventful until at last they came to a nondescript brown door. Macavoy opened the door, and he and Cole pushed Castiel in. In the room a dark-skinned man in a suit was standing behind a brown desk. There were also a few other chains in the room, in which two man sat. One was a rather grim looking man in a baseball cap, the other one was Dean, the guard that had been so nice to him yesterday._

 _Now Castiel was really confused._

 _"Sit him down there," The man in the suit said, pointing to the chair beside Dean._

 _The men walked him over to the chair and roughly shoved him into it. "W-what's going on?" Castiel finally managed to asked._

 _"This is Dean Winchester," The man explained, as if he didn't already know about his and Dean's talk yesterday and chose to ignore it, "You've been claimed by him."_

 _Cas looked over to the man in shock. Dean had claimed him? Why?_

 _Dean gave him a small smile. "I told you it would work out," He whispered where only the two of them could hear, "They just have to perform the binding spell, then I can get you out of here."_

 _"Trenton," The man in charge was saying, "Unchain him, please."_

 _As Cole did that, the man in the cap stood up, flipping open a large, old, leather-bound book. "I'm gonna need you two to stand up."_

 _Dean stood up, helping Cas to his feet as well._

 _"Now you need to take each other's left hand and hold them out," The man instructed. They did as he said and then he wrapped a black cord around each of their wrist. Then he said " Hani adl ," He began, " Ils am oi hrath, balazadoreji o bab pilf o iares Amen ."_

 _Suddenly Dean felt a burning sensation throughout his entire body. Then he realized that Cas's hand felt like it was fire, when suddenly the angel started screaming. Dean looked at his hand and realized it was glowing red, the some sort of imagine coming up from the skin. When the light faded he saw an image engraved into the skin on Castiel's arm. Suddenly the angel just collapsed, Dean catching him. "Is he alright?" Dean was really afraid something had gone wrong._

 _"Yeah," The man who performed the ritual said, "The angel's just the one most affected. He'll come around in a few minutes. But there might be some after affects in the next few days."_

 _"Like what?" Dean asked, starting to worry._

 _"Basically it will be like he has a bad flu," The man explained, "Possibly some vomiting."_

 _"I thought angels didn't need to eat," Dean asked trying to keep track of everything he needed to know._

 _"They apparently still have bile," The man replied._

 _"That why I suggested you use a few of your sick days," Hendrickson spoke up, "Now, we have all the paperwork filled out, and the information on chip's been updated, but you'll still need to have him inked." He handed him a stack of pamphlets. "Here are some local places that do that."_

 _"Thanks," Dean said, taking the pamphlets with one hand and supporting Cas with the other. "Is that everything or is there something else I have to do?"_

 _"No," Hendrickson replied, "You can take him home."_

 _Dean somehow managed to carry Cas out to his car and ease him into the shotgun seat. He then got into the driver's seat and started looking through the stack of pamphlets. Sam had warned him getting an angel processed was a lot of work, but he hadn't been expecting all this. He wasn't even sure if he should get this all done now or wait until the sickness period was over. No, it was best if he got it over with now._

 _When they pulled up to tattoo parlor, Cas was still asleep so Dean gently nudged his shoulder saying, "Cas, Cas, wake up, buddy."_

 _The angel woke up slight start. He shook his head, looking confused._

 _"We're at the tattoo place," Dean said, "There are a couple of things we still need to do, okay?"_

 _Castiel nodded._

 _Dean got out and then walked over to the passenger side and opened the door, offering a Cas a hand. He took it wearily, trying to figure out Dean's angle was. Was this merely altruism, or was he looking for some sort of exotic pet, or was there something sinister at play? Until he knew for sure, he was going to stay on high alert. Or at least as high an alert as he could while he was struggling to stay awake. But he was starting to come to as the young woman strapped him into the chair._

 _"You want me to give him some anesthetic?" The woman asked._

 _"Cas?" Dean asked, looking at the angel expectantly. He knew was going to have to gain the angel's trust, so he wasn't going to make any important choices like this for him._

 _"No," Castiel answered, "I'll be fine without it." He didn't want to do anything that could even possibly be perceived as weakness in front of Dean, and he could handle a little pain._

 _"You sure?" Dean asked, "That's a lot of area to cover."_

 _"I will be fine," Castiel insisted._

 _The woman looked over to Dean._

 _"It's his choice," Dean replied._

 _"Suit yourself," The woman said, getting the needle ready._

 _Castiel gritted his teeth as the woman started her work. Dean could see he was clearly in pain, and put his hand in the angel's right hand, and not thinking Cas started to squeeze it for all it was worth. It hurt and cut off Dean's circulation, but he didn't complain._

 _Getting less than half way up his arm, the woman asked, "You want to take a break?"_

 _Both Cas and Dean nodded._

 _The woman walked away and Cas let go of Dean's hand and he could feel the blood start rushing back to it. "Look, Cas, this wouldn't be what they gave you at the prison," Dean whispered, "It's just a local. You'd have complete control of your mental faculties. It'd just numb you a little."_

 _"It's just a little pain," Cas said, trying to stay strong, "I can handle it."_

 _"Except, it's not just a little pain," Dean argued, "She has to ink the whole area of the mark, and that's going to take a least half an..." Dean's voice trailed off as he started to get what was going on. "Look Cas, no one is going to think any less of you if you take a little pain relief. It's a miracle you've gone through this without any this far."_

 _"Alright," Castiel snapped, just wanting Dean to let it go, "I'll let her give me the anesthetic."_

 _After that, the whole ordeal went a lot easier. There was still some discomfort, but it wasn't as seering. Soon, the woman was covering the newly tattooed mark with a white bandage, and they were headed back to Dean's apartment._

 _"This is it," Dean said, opening the door and gesturing for Castiel to come in. The apartment was small, the kitchen area and the living room connected with one short, narrow hallway that lead to a bedroom and a bathroom._

 _"I know it's not much," Dean said._

 _"It's nice," Cas said, looking around._

 _"You can sit down on the couch," Dean said, gesturing to furnishing in question, "I'll get you some blankets for tonight."_

 _"I don't require sleep," Cas informed him._

 _Dean froze a minute. "Oh," He said, "So what do you all night?"_

 _"Before I was captured I usually spent nights on the move," Castiel explained," Or hiding. In the prison I was so drugged most I couldn't do much of anything, and I couldn't really tell time. I guess, I'll just...sit here."_

 _"You do have a couple more options," Dean suggested, "There are some old magazines and books in that basket over there, just, don't look at the ones with the hot girls on the covers," was dealing with an angel after all, " You could also go out on the fire escape if you need some air, " He pointed to the window that lead out to the fires escape, "And hey, there's always the idiot box. Just keep it down when I'm asleep."_

 _The angel just started at Dean unsure of what he was talking about._

 _Dean walked over to the cough and sat down beside him. "You see that?" He said pointing at his old box TV._

 _"Yes," Cas replied, unsure of where this was going._

 _"It's what we call a television," Dean explained, "TV for short. Basically..." His voice trailed off, trying to figure out the best way to explain the concept._

 _"I know what a television is," Cas replied, "I just didn't realize it had so many different names."_

 _Dean made a note to work on broadening Castiel's vocabulary later. "Well do you know how to work one?"_

 _"Not really," Cas answered._

 _Dean picked up the remote and held it out where they both can see it. "This," He began, pointing to one of the larger buttons, "Is the one you use to turn on and off. This," He put his thumb by one of the long ones, "Is what you use to go up and down between channels, and this one beside it," he pointed to the opposite one, "Is what you use for sound. This one turned it up, this one turns it down and..." Dean's voice trailed off as he saw stiff and uncomfortable Cas looked, "You can relax, you know. Loosen up a bit, take your coat off."_

 _That made Cas go even stiffer and his eyes widened. Dean was about to ask what was wrong when he remembered what the angel had said yesterday about people with things for angels. "Because it's sorta silly to wear a coat in your own home." He added quickly, "And this is your home now. Look, I don't have any agenda. No fetishes, no profit, I just wanted to get you out of there and this seemed more doable then changing the law in less than two weeks."_

 _Castiel looked at the human strait on. He wanted to believe Dean, he really did, but still wasn't sure. "I understand," He said, "But if it's all the same to you, I'd like to keep my coat on."_

 _"That's just fine," Dean said. He knew that getting Cas to trust him and feel comfortable was going to be marathon, not a sprint._

 _Later on that night Dean went to bed, leaving Castiel alone to contemplate everything that had just happened. The last 24 had been dizzying for the angel, everything was happening so quickly. Just starting to think about made him need some air. Didn't Dean say he could go out if he wanted? He walked over to the window, opened it, and threw himself over the side, on foot touching the metal floor, then the other. He walked over to the railing, wrapping hands around it and looking up at the star-filled sky. He thought he would never see the sky again. Now it was suddenly infinitely precious._

 _Then he looked back down and caught the bandage on his hand, and remembered the strings attached. Maybe he could still run. If he could somehow how get the chip they put in the back of his neck upon his capture out he could do it. As long as they didn't think Dean helped him, all he would get was a fine. And it's not like he owed Dean anything. He had only know the man a day. The tattoo was little more of a problem, however. The whole reason that was the standard binding spell, why they inked the mark was to let the world know that he was an angel. And this time, if he was caught, no second chances. He'd be killed instantly._

 _"Hey," A female voice called down from above, pulling Castiel from his thoughts._

 _He looked up and saw a woman with little-less-than-shoulder-length brown hair, sort of curly at the bottom, and cloudy blue eyes that were staring down at him. "What are you doing out this late?"_

 _Suddenly Cas felt as if he had been caught in something wrong."I'm allowed to be out here," He said almost defensively, "My human said I could come out here."_

 _"Don't worry, brother," She said, rolling up her sleeve revealing her own, more intricate, markings, "I won't tell anyone."_

 _It took Cas a minute to comprehend what had just happen. "Oh."_

 _"Can I come down?" The female angel asked._

 _"Certainly," Cas replied, pleased to finally see another angel._

 _The female angel slung herself over the railing of her own fire escape, then leapt to the one Cas was standing on. "Name's Hannah," She said, crossing her legs and leaning against the railing, "And you?"_

 _"Castiel," He replied._

 _"Please to meet you," Hannah replied, "I didn't know Mr. Winchester had an angel."_

 _"He just claimed me today," Cas explained._

 _"Oh," Hannah, said, now her turn to be at a loss for words, "Are you alright?"_

 _"Yes," Cas answered, "My arm's just a little sore where they inked in the markings."_

 _"What about the after sickness?" Hannah asked, "Has it sat in?"_

 _"Not yet," Cas replied, "Is it bad?"_

 _"I'm told it can vary but in my experience it's not pleasant," Hannah answered, cringing at the memory, "My head felt like someone was using it for war drums, the life zapped out of me, and I emptied my stomach contents into a bucket and my stomach didn't even have any contents. Poor Bella was scared out of her mind, everything she did just seem to make it worse."_

 _"Bella?" Castiel asked._

 _"My bonded," Hannah elaborated, "She lied about her age when she claimed me. She just fifteen, just a kid." Suddenly she looked very anxious and sad._

 _"Is something troubling you?" Cas asked._

 _"It's just..." Hannah's voice trailed off, before saying, "I don't even know where she is right now. We use to share everything and a few months ago she started getting cagey, secretive. I mean, she's like that a lot with other people, but never with me. And it's not like I don't know she's into some shady dealings. What could she be doing that's so terrible she doesn't think she can tell me?"_

 _"Humans," Cas shrugged, "Who knows why they do what they do?"_

 _"Not her," Hannah said, shaking her head," No my Bella."_

 _Cas was silent for a moment. "You really care about her don't you?"_

 _"Yes," Hannah replied._

 _And so the two angels began unburdening themselves to each other. Hannah told him how she met Bella, of travel across the country with her and how they looked out for each other, how she much preferred the wide open spaces, and rural areas where they were less strict, than they were now, or how her human had changed since they came here. Castiel told him of migrating across the country, getting separated from his group, of lonely nights on back roads, making the mistake of healing the wrong person who called for the police, leading to him being tested and tranked, having his wings bound, and meeting Dean. Around five, he started feeling oddly lethargic._

 _"Okay," Hannah, recognizing what was happening, "Let's get you back inside." Then she took him by the arm and pulled him over to the window, walking him over to the couch and laying him down on it. "There you go. I'll be back in a little bit with something that'll help, okay?"_

 _Suddenly very out of it, Cas just nodded._

 _Dean woke that morning to the sound of someone reaching. He leapt up, ran out and saw Castiel, halfway down the hall flat on his stomach head hanging limply above a pile of clear puke._

 _"Cas!" He shouted rushing to the angel's side. "What happened?" He asked as he pulled Cas up._

 _"I started to feel...sick," Cas began weakly, "I tried to get to the bathroom, but...I didn't make it. I'm sorry, Dean."_

 _"Hey," Dean hushed, "It's okay, you couldn't help it. Now, let's get you laid down somewhere."_

 _Dean walked Cas to the bedroom and laid him down on the bed, wiped the bile from his month, then noticing how warm his skin felt underneath the tissue, felt his forehead. "God, you're burning up." He pulled Cas' coat and suit jacket off, the which the angel didn't even protest, which worried him even more after how adamant the angel had been just the night before. He wondered if this was all part of the after effects they were talking about yesterday, or if this was real problem. Should he take him to the hospital? Would they even see an angel? He had to think. What had his parents done whenever he or Sam was running a temp like this?_

 _Dean ran to the bathroom, made sure the water coming out of the faucet was ice cold, and wet a wash cloth, then ran back to his room. "There we go," He said, gingerly placing the cloth on Cas' forehead, "I don't know how well this actually works, but it's the best I can think of."_

 _"Dean..."Cas groaned._

 _"Yeah?" Dean asked._

 _"I think I'm going to..." Cas' voice trailed off._

 _Realizing what was about to happen, Dean quickly pulled a wastepaper basket to the bedside, just in time for Cas to vomit in it._

 _A few minutes later Dean was staring at a bottle of aspirin, how much he should give Castiel, who's fever still hasn't gone down, and now also had a pounding headache. Would this even work? He had no clue how an angels metabolism worked. Did anyone? He was seriously considering taking Cas to the nearest hospital and demanding they treat him when there was a knock on the door. "Winchester!" A British accented female voice shouted, "Opened up."_

 _"Seriously?" Dean said aloud, "Now?" He hadn't had many interactions with his upstairs neighbor, but the ones he had hadn't exactly been pleasant. Whatever she wanted it was just going to have to wait._

 _"I know you're in there!" Bella shouted, "So you can let me in or I can kick down the door!"_

 _Dean sighed, and opened the door, and found Bella standing there with a brown paper bag._

 _"Look, Bella, this isn't really a good time-" Dean began._

 _"Actually, it's perfect," Bella said, walking through the threshold, pushing past him, and heading towards the kitchen._

 _"By all means, come in," Dean said, annoyed._

 _"Don't a smartass, I'm here to help," She replied, rummaging through his cabinets, "Hannah told me about your new addition."_

 _That's when Dean took notice of the Bella's companion, standing uncomfortably in the hallway. She rubbed her wrist, and Dean noticed the black ink._

 _"What, do they like, sense each other?" Dean asked, gesturing for her to come in._

 _"I met him out back last night," Hannah offer in way of explanation as she walked in, "I was with him when it started setting him."_

 _"Yes, and she was rather insistent that we come over and help," Bella said, finally taking a mug down from the cabinet, and pouring a liquid the color of urine in the snow from a clear beaker into it, "Sorry, it took so while, these things just take some time to find. Now, where's the patient?"_

 _Dean lead the pair down the hallway down to his room where Cas was flat on his stomach, his head hanging over the waste basket, only semi-conscious._

 _Bella walked over to the bed and sat down on the side, pulling Castiel up. "Here," She said, putting the cup up to his lips, "Drink this." He took one sip and pulled back a little. "Now, I know it's awful," Bella said softly, "But it's going to make you feel a lot better." She helped his head meet the cup and Cas drank, too sick to question it. "There you go." She added encouragingly._

 _Dean blinked, not believing what he was seeing. This was nicest he'd ever seen her be to anyone. Ever._

 _"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Bella asked, once Cas had finished the mug._

 _"It was bitter," Cas managed, "And felt like swallowing a frog."_

 _"You'll thank me when you stop puking your guts out," Bella said, then began to rummage through the bag again, coming up with a plain white bottle. She opened it, pouring out three plastic-coded pills, and place them in Cas' hand. "For the fever." She explained._

 _Cas put them in his mouth and somehow managed to dry swallow. Pulling put a packet of dark-colored lozenges in clear wrapping. "Open up," She said after unwrapping one._

 _Cas complied, allowing Bella to put it in his mouth before shutting it._

 _"Just let it dissolve," Bella instructed, "By the time that's done it will be in your bloodstream and the headache will be gone. Other than that, lay back and try to get some sleep. Believe me, it's better if your just unconscious for the next couple of days."_

 _"Thank you," Cas said, laying down on his back._

 _"Thank her," Bella said, pointing to her angel, who was standing next to Dean, "She was the one who sounded the alarm."_

 _Emboldened, Hannah gingerly approached the bed saying, "I told you I'd be back didn't I?"_

 _"So, ah, how long have you had Hannah?" Dean asked, later, sitting on the couch with Bella._

 _"First off," Bella said, clutching her cup of coffee, "Don't say it like that, you make it sound like she's a pet. She's not, she's a sentient being."_

 _"Okay," Dean said, seeing Bella's point, "How long have you in Hannah...lived together, I guess?"_

 _"About ten years," Bella answered, "I has just got to this country and some bastard attacked me, or tried to at least, and she just - there, just like that, pulling him off of me and beating the Hell out of him until he ran off whimpering like a kicked puppy."_

 _"That girl in there?" Dean asked, pointing down the hall, "The one that came in you with? "_

 _Bella nodded. "You know what they say about the quiet ones. I asked if there was anything I could do to thank and she asked if I would consider bonding with her, or at least acting like I was bonded with her because a couple of angel catchers were on her closing in on her. I wasn't in a good place at time, my parents had died a year before, I was dealing some other...things at the time, and she was the first person to every actually helped me and she needed my help, so I did what I could."_

 _"And the law was just okay with this?" Dean asked. It had took him most of yesterday and the night before to get through all the red tape, and that had been with Cas already processed_ and _his lawyer brother greasing the wheels. Dean doubted one could just walk into city hall with an unchipped, free-winged angel and say they wanted to claim them._

 _"I acted like I was turning her in," Bella explained, "Mentioned she was actually good company and I wanted to claim her, and they handed over the paper work."_

 _"And did she-" Dean began, referring to the sickness._

 _"Yeah," Bella replied, "And neither of us knew what to do then, poor thing. And everything I did seemed to just make it worst. If I hadn't had found an online forum I don't know what we would have done. And even then, it was trial and error...mostly error. But hey, at least someone can befit from our misery."_

 _"Ain't that the truth," Dean said, taking a sip from his coffee before another question occurred to him. "Did the forum say anything about why it makes them so sick, did it?"_

 _"The approve bonding spells," Bella explained in a tone that made it clear what she thought of them, "Are designed to even weaken the angel or suppress their abilities all together. This is Castiel's body's ways of protesting. "_

 _"What, like it's actually trying to fight off the spell?" Dean asked._

 _"That's the theory, at least," Bella said, almost mournfully, "But the spell always wins in the end. In few days he'll be okay, except for being permanently crippled."_

 _Suddenly Dean felt sick to his stomach. "You, know I never gave much thought to it before," Dean said, almost bitterly, "But the claiming system really sucks."_

 _"Imagine if you're an angel," Bella replied._

 _That night, after Bella finally dragged Hannah home, Dean went to check on the Cas. He was curled up on his side, under a blanket twitching a little in sleep. Dean sat down by the bed, and checked felt Cas' forehead. It was started to feel warm again. How long ago had he taken the fever pills? Bella said he could take them every five hours. Dean checked the clock. It was one more hour before he could take them again. Well, he wasn't that hot, anyway. And he looked so peaceful, more than he had all day, Hell, more than he had since they met. Dean didn't see any reason to wake him up right now. Suddenly he felt his eyes drop. He didn't see any reason why he couldn't rest his eyes as well._

 _When Castiel's eyes fluttered opened he was a bit confused. He rose up, the blanket that must have placed over him at some point, though he didn't remember, slid off, so it pulled around his legs. Looking around, he saw Dean, lying a few inches from him. Concerned, over to him. He was still breathing. That was a good sign. He was just asleep. Cas realized Dean was probably exhausted from tended to him today. Therefore he didn't want to wake him up, so he stayed as still as he possibly could._

 _When Dean woke up he was startled by the pair of blue eyes staring out him, so he jolted and backed away a little. "What the Hell, Cas?!"_

 _The angel leapt back as well, with that wild look. "My apologies, Dean."_

 _"Didn't anybody ever tell you it's rude to stare?" Dean asked, breathing heavily._

 _"Um..no, not really," A rather abased Castiel replied._

 _"You scared the Hell out of me," Dean continued, "Why were you watching me sleep, anyway?"_

 _"When I saw you here, I thought something must be wrong," Cas explained, shifting uncomfortably, "But then you were still breathing, and I didn't want to wake you, so...I stayed quiet so I wouldn't make any noise."_

 _"Oh," Dean said, now feeling a bit bad for snapping, "Well, that was thoughtful, I guess." Wanting to change the subject, he added, "How are you feeling?"_

 _"Better, I suppose," Cas answered. It was true for the most part. He was hot, but that was all._

 _"What about the fever?" Dean asked, "You felt a little warm earlier."_

 _"Honesty?" Castiel asked, "I feel a lot warm now."_

 _This was good, Dean thought. Cas was admitting that he was sick. He was starting to trust him. This was step in the right direction._

 _"Well, I think you take more of those pills," Dean said getting up, "Tell you what," He continued, opening the pill bottle, "We really owe your new friends."_

 _"We are in agreement on that," Cas said coming up behind Dean and taking the pills from him._

 _Dean felt a little awkward, being so close to someone. "Ever heard of a little thing called personal space?"_

 _"Sorry," Cas replied stepping back._

 _Dean chuckled a bit. It suddenly felt like he had adopted a child._

 _"Need anything else?" Dean ask Cas took some water to wash the pills down._

 _"No," Cas replied, "Like I said, I'm feeling much better."_

 _"Still, you better lie down," Dean insisted, "Bella said that stuff would wear off eventually."_

 _Castiel felt a pit in stomach and he sincerely hopped it was his fear of a repeat of this morning, rather than an actual repeat. "How long will I be like this?"_

 _"According to all sources I've found," Dean began, "Two, three days tops."_

 _Cas shook his head. This couldn't be happening._

 _"It'll be fine," Dean said, ""This is probably the worst of it. Just lie down, we'll get through this."_

 _Cas complied, and Dean was about to leave when he called out, "Dean?"_

 _Dean turned around. "Yeah?"_

 _"Can you stay?"_

 _"Sure," Dean said, sitting back down._

 **Lawrence Kansas**

 **Present Day**

"And that's everything," Cas finished.

"And the fog of smoke when we got here?" Dean asked.

"This one tried to cook," Hannah explained, gesturing to Castiel, "It didn't end well." He then gestured to the stove where a brunt blob that they assumed was suppose to a pie sitting on the stove top.

"It looks like it," Dean said, "Was that with or without her helping you?"

"Sadly this did happen on my watch," Hannah, admitted,"What can I say, cooking's not my strong suit, either. If it had been anything else-"

"Why you cooking, anyway?" Dean asked, "You don't eat."

"I, ah, don't think it was for him, Dean," Sam murmured.

"No," Cas admitted, looking down, "I wanted to surprise Dean, my Dean, that is. I just like doing nice things for him."

Dean chuckled, "Aren't you sweet."

Cas shuffled awkwardly, and Dean thought he might actually be blushing a little. Both Sam and Hannah were giving him reproachful looks for making him so uncomfortable.

"Sorry," Dean said quickly, "I didn't mean to-"

"No," Cas replied, "It's fine."

"You know what," Dean said, "We should probably be getting out of here."

"Definitely," Sam said, getting out the ingredients.

"Good luck," Castiel spoke up, seemingly recovered from his awkwardness.

"Thanks buddy," Dean replied, "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till..."


	35. Friends Like These

This time they were flat on their backs on a sidewalk in-between the Impala, and oddly enough...a school yard.

"What the Hell?" Dean balked.

Suddenly the felt hands on their shoulders and they found themselves being pulled into the car and found themselves looking at their parallel selves.

"Woe-" Dean said, seeing his parallel universe self going for the sliver knife, "We're not shifters."

"We'll be the judges of that," The Dean of the universe said coolly grabbing Dean's wrist and cutting his arm. "Well, I'll be," He said, after there was no adverse reaction, "They're not shape-shifters. At least that one isn't."

"Which begs the question," That's universe's Sam added, "What are they?"

"Look," Dean replied, "If you give us a second, we can explain. Look, there was this witch..."

Just then they were interrupted by a knocking on the windows. All four of them looked up to find Bobby, Castiel, and surprisingly enough Lisa looking into the window.

Dean lowered down the window. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Well, originally we were just making sure Hunter was okay," Bobby explained, " But then we saw your doubles appear out of nowhere, and..."

"Well, they were about to explain whatever's going on," Dean replied, " Get in."

Cas opened the back door since he was the closest and the odd trio pilled in the already crowded car, officially putting it over capacity.

"You were saying?" That universe's Dean said, addressing the Dean sandwiched between him and his brother, "There was a witch?"

"She did a spell," Dean tried again, "It sent us to another universe, we did the spell again, but it sent us to the wrong universe and we get landing in the wrong universe!"

Everybody exchanged looks, then at last all eyes landed on Bobby. "You expect me to know?" He asked, "I guess, it's possible, but I've never heard of it before."

Then all eyes went to Cas. "There are other universes," He conceded, "And there are spells to transport people between them, but the witch would have to be very powerful."

"She was!" Dean insisted, "She could change her physical appearance to whoever saw her, she was able to force us into her house, she made me puke stuff I didn't eat!"

"Okay, we get the point," the other Dean said, "Now that we know why they're here," He looked at the three in the back, "What are _you_ guys doing here?"

The three shifted and looked at each other awkwardly, then Lisa spoke up. "What about you? Weren't you the one telling Hunter everything was going to be alright, you're going to love, school, etc? And here you are, sitting out in front of the playground. I'm surprised you haven't been confronted by a cop yet."

Dean looked over at Sam and mouthed, "One of us has a kid again?"

Sam shrugged.

"Okay, so I'm a little nervous," The universe's Dean admitted, "But I'm her father. What's your excuse?"

 _"Wait,"_ Both Sam and Dean thought at about the same time, _"Her?"_ Wasn't Hunter a boys' name, though?

"I raised her the first year and a half of her life," Lisa protested, "And who baby-sits when you have to go out of town? And who's her Godmother? Not, him," She gestured to Cas, "Not him," She gestured to Bobby, then pointed to herself saying ,"Me!"

"And just because you was voted lest likely to die doesn't mean I don't care about the little mite," Bobby added, "There could be someone possessed by a demon, monster, bullies- and what about him?" Bobby pointed over to Cas, "He didn't hold her for at least the first year, and suddenly _he's_ so concerned?"

"In his defense that's only because he was afraid of dropping her," Lisa spoke up.

"You promised you wouldn't tell!" The angel shouted, jumping in his seat a little.

"Is that true?" That universe's Dean said smirking a little.

Cas squirmed in his seat, before finally exclaiming, "Yes, alright! I'm inhumanly strong and she was just. So. Tiny... if I did one thing wrong..."

Lisa put a firm hand on Cas' should "We get it."

"Traitor," Cas murmured, shaking her off.

"Okay, everyone just back up a minute?" Dean was finally able to interject, "Who was he afraid of dropping?"

"That little girl right, there," The Dean of that universe said, pointing out the window. The brothers peaked out and saw a little girl of about five with short blonde hair, in a neat little red dress and blue sweater going down a slide.

"That's Hunter," That universe's Dean explained, "My daughter."

"You actually named her Hunter?" Sam asked.

"Well, I wasn't actually there when her mother named her," Dean said awkwardly, "It's a bit of a long story."

Dean and Sam exchanged looks. "That hasn't stopped us before." Dean replied.


	36. It Takes A Whole Village

"Remember Emily from Burkittsville?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, the kid who was almost sacrificed to the Vanir-scracrow thing, right?" The other Dean replied.

"Yeah," The Dean of the universe replied, "Well, apparently after that she went and became a hunter. And then, after I got back from Hell, we ran into each on a hunt..."

 **Rosebloom, Arkansas**

 **2008**

 _"Look, pal," A female voice said, as Sam and Dean interned the police station, "Call my supervisor if you don't believe, but I need to see that body."_

 _The pair of hunters exchanged looks, then went towards the voices._

 _"Look, young lady, I don't know what kind of prank you're trying to pull here," The desk officer was saying firmly to a blonde woman with their backs to them, "But impersonating a federal agent is a serious offense."_

 _"Or it would be if except I'm not impersonating one," The young woman insisted, "I am one."_

 _"Excuse me," Dean called out, causing both parties to look at him and he was surprised to see he recognized the young woman. "Emily?"_

 _"Dean?" The young woman exclaimed back, looking like she had just seen a ghost. Well, like normal people look when they just saw a ghost._

 _"You all know each other?" The desk officer said._

 _"Yes," Dean said quickly, getting a look at the badge on the desk, "Agent Person, she usually does undercover work, they never see it coming with that baby face of hers."_

 _It was actually a good cover story. In her black slacks and matching blazer over a ruffled blouse, her youthful face was the only thing keeping her from completely passing as a federal agent._

 _"As for us," Dean continued, "I'm Agent Perry, this is Agent Tyler, we're ah, here about the dead body as well."_

 _"Dental records identify the body as Alex Copper," The corner explained, "Apparently he was out camping with his girlfriend, Rose Dolton. We have search parties out searching for her now, but I don't see how the FBI could help."_

 _Dean was about to provide some sort of explanation when Emily spoke up, "We have reason to believe this is linked to an animal smuggling ring we've been investigating. We think perhaps one their more...dangerous predators got lose."_

 _The corner's face visibly paled. "H-have the police..."_

 _"Been informed?" Emily finished, "Of course, they're getting all the civilians out of the woods as we speak."_

 _The corner left out a sigh of relief._

 _"So," Sam said, before things could get out of hand, "Cause of death?"_

 _"Blood loss from his throat being ripped out," The corner explained, "There are some defensive wounds but he clearly didn't stand a chance against whatever killed it."_

 _"So, what, we thinking werewolf?" Dean asked, back at the hotel, looking over case files and lore books with Emily._

 _"No, the timing's off," Emily said, flipping through one of the books, "There wasn't even a crescent moon last night, let alone a full one."_

 _The federal agent get-up had been shed and replaced with a pink-and-brown stripped sweater, worn-out looking blue jeans and sturdy black boots. An anti-possession charm that had been hidden before now hung freely from her neck. Fading cheap make-up revealed she just recovered from a black eye. When she pushed her hair out of her face so she could see better it revealed her knuckles were slightly scuffed up. There was a cut on her forehead, just by her hair line. She had been in a fight recently, and if the scar on the side of her face, a wide pale track of healed stitches starting at her jaw and curving up into her hair line was any indication, it wasn't the first time._

 _This was not the same girl they had put on a bus to Boston four years ago._

 _"So, ah," Dean began, "How long have you been hunting?"_

 _"A little less than four years now," Emily replied, "After what happened in Burkettisvile, I was white knuckling it, this was the only thing I found that actually let me function."_

 _Dean didn't think that was a good reason to become a hunter. At all. "So you just went out there with no training, no skills whatsoever?"_

 _"I learned on the job," Emily replied, "And hey, I managed to stay alive so far."_

 _"Though from the looks of it, that wasn't easy," Dean commented, observing her battered features._

 _"Is there some kind of point to this integration, Dean?" Emily snapped._

 _"No," Dean replied, suddenly feeling like he had done something wrong, "It's just...this isn't the kind of life you just jump into. I mean, you're just a kid."_

 _"A, I didn't just jump into it, I've been at this for four years," Emily said coolly, "B, I'm not a kid anymore, I'm nineteen."_

 _Dean raised an eyebrow._

 _"Okay, maybe that's not the best argument," Emily conceded, "Especially after what happened today."_

 _"How often does that happen, anyway?" Dean asked._

 _"More than I care to admit," Emily replied, "And then I've had to get creative."_

 _"Creative?" Dean responded, "What does that mean?"_

 _"Crawling through windows," Emily admitted, somewhat casually, "Describing myself as a candy stripper, an intern occasionally...you'd be surprised how often it works."_

 _"Okay, that's...pretty creative," Dean said, actually impressed._

 _"So is faking your death," Emily replied._

 _"What does that mean?" Dean replied._

 _"Just because you didn't know about me, doesn't me I don't know about you," Emily explained, "People talk. Word on the street says you're the best hunters out there. Even other hunters are scared of you. Someone says the name Winchester, people make the sign of the cross."_

 _"Okay, okay, I get the point." Dean cut her off, "So what does this have to do with someone faking their death?"_

 _"Word got a around a few months ago," Emily began, "You were dead. Killed by a demon or something. Yet," She gestured widely towards Dean, "Here you are, the picture of health."_

 _Dean was silent for a moment, not sure how to respond._

 _"So?" Emily continued, "Why'd you do it? Was it for some kind of job or something?"_

 _Dean squirmed, trying to think of a good lie. Finally he decided to just go with, "Or something."_

 _Just then Sam came back into the room, saying, "Okay, good news, I think I figured out what we're dealing with, bad news, it's gonna be really hard to find and really hard to kill..."_

 **Bitter Creek Woods**

 **A Day Later**

 _"Sam! Dean!" Emily shouted, "I found her!"_

 _Rose Dolton was handing by her wrist in the center of a cold damp cave. She was soaking wet, freezing and semi-conscious, but she was still alive._

 _Sam and Dean came running into the catacomb as Emily was cutting the slightly older woman down. "Have you have found it yet?"_

 _"No," Sam replied, "Nothing."_

 _"But it could be planning some sort of sneak attack." Dean pointed out._

 _"All the more reason to get her out of here if we can," Emily said, supporting Rose's full weight, "Is somebody gonna help me?!"_

 _"Right," Dean said, hurrying over to help her, throwing one of Rose's arm over his shoulder, "Sam, you got the flame thrower?"_

 _"Yeah," Sam replied, readying it, and walking in front of him as they made their way through the tunnels._

 _Somewhere halfway through the crack someone started screaming. "What do you think?" Emily asked, "The Windego trying to trick us, or someone what actually needs help?"_

 _"Rose," Dean began, "Did you see anybody else in here? Anybody alive?"_

 _Rose just shook her head._

 _Suddenly there was a flash of movement and Sam was on the ground. Thinking Emily grabbed the dropped flame thrower and lit it, catching the attacker on fire before he could make the kill. Far from being beaten through, the flaming creature rose up with a pained, angry howl and charged at Dean and Emily._

 _"Uh oh," Was all Dean could think to say._

 _"Run!" Emily shouted, dragging Dean away._

 _The monster chased after them until they ran straight into a corner. "Any ideas?" Dean asked, totally at a lost._

 _"Just one," Emily said, pulling on the flame-thrower again, sending a gust of fire into their attackers face._

 _The Windego backed up actually whimpering before falling to the ground. It rolled around then, stopped, finally dead._

 _After disposing of the body, the three hunters got Rose to the hospital and then quickly prepared to leave. Dean was about to put his bag in the car when there a knock on the door. "Dean?" Emily's voice called out, "It's Emily."_

 _"Come in," Dean replied._

 _Emily did. "I just wanted to say goodbye before I go," Emily explained, "Thanks for the help."_

 _Dean blinked. "You're thanking me?" If anything Dean felt it should be the other way around. Aside from saving both his and Sam's life, she had been basically been leading the charge all day. She had been the one to find to the cave and of course she had been the one to find Rose._

 _"Yeah, for what you did with the desk officer yesterday," Emily explained._

 _"Don't mention it," Dean replied, then after a minute he added, "And I was wrong yesterday."_

 _"Wrong about what?" Emily asked suddenly nervous._

 _"About you," Dean replied, "I shouldn't have doubted you."_

 _"No, I don't blame you," Emily replied, "If the roles were reversed, I'd be a little weary as well."_

 _"Well," Dean began, "That attitude is way too healthy for me. You're actually creeping me out a little."_

 _Emily laughed, throwing her arms around Dean. He jolted at first, startled, then reciprocated the hug. Somewhere along the line, Emma's lips somehow met Dean's, then the younger hunter quickly pulled back. "I'm sorry," She said, "I don't know why I did that."_

 _"I think I do." Dean replied. He was well acquainted with the adrenaline rush that came near-death misses. The urge to reach for the first warm and willing body available to him. The need to reaffirm that he was still alive. Right now he wanted to help her do that. So he kissed her again, pulling her closer to the bed..._

 **Cicero Indiana**

 **Present Day**

"Woe, woe, woe," Dean interjected quickly before things could get any further, "Stop right there, okay? During this experience I have met my kid, have my brother beg me to kill him, and caught myself making out with my best friend. I do _not_ need the details of how I deflowered a nineteen-year-old, okay?"

"Actually I don't that was her first..." The universe's Dean began.

"Stop!" Dean shouted, "Just get to the part where she had our baby."

"Well, the next day she was gone," The other Dean explained, "And she never told me she was pregnant. Then I ran into her on another hunt..."

 **Carthage, Minnesota**

 **2010**

 _Dean didn't see her at first when he walked into the store. Then as he walked past the counter he noticed the wide pale line of healed stitches. That made him turn on his heel. "Emily?"_

 _She turned around looking like she'd been caught in something. "Dean?"_

 _"Hey, long time no see," Dean replied, "So you in town over the..." His voice trailed off in case there were other people around._

 _"Omens?" Emily finished, "Don't worry, we're alone."_

 _It was then Dean noticed no one was manning the counter. In fact, they were the only two people in the whole store. "Did we just walk into an ambush?"_

 _"I don' t know, but I think we need to walk out of here slowly," Emily said, backing up._

 _Suddenly the doors to back burst open, and two men appeared, their eyes a shinning black. "Not so fast," One said, and with the flick of his wrist, the hunters found themselves pinned against the freezer section._

 _"You know," The lead demon said sauntering over to them, "I wasn't expecting this pretty little thing to be here." He stoked Emily's cheek, his finger tracing her scar._

 _"Leave her alone!" Dean seethed._

 _"And if I don't?" The demon mocked, turning to face Dean, "What are you going to do about it?"_

 _At that point Dean saw Sam sneaking in with the knife. "Nothing," Dean said, feigning defeat._

 _The demon chuckled evilly. "That's what I thought." He turned back to Emily. "So I going to have a little fun before..." His voice trailed off when he heard the sound of a body hitting the ground. He turned around to see Sam standing over his fallen comrade. Before he could react, Sam stabbed him the gut._

 _The demon fell to the ground and with him Dean and Emily. "Are you okay?" Sa, asked, helping her up._

 _"I think so," She said._

 _"Then let's get out before more show up," Dean said, as they were already heading out the door._

 _As Sam and Dean headed for the Impala but Emily broke off. "We're stand a better chance together." Dean said when he saw her going off._

 _"Sure," Emily said, suddenly very nervous, "It's just...there's something in the car I need to get, and I can't leave it there..."_

 _Suddenly there was the soft sound of cooing. They all turned to find a baby who couldn't be more than a few months old in car with the window rolled down, failing its arms, as if trying to get the hunters attention._

 _That was when Dean realized it was the only car in the parking lot other than theirs._

 _"What are you doing with a baby?" Dean asked._

 _"It's a long story," Emily said, taking the baby out of the car seat, "Can we just go?"_

 _A little while later they were on the road, with Emma in the backseat holding the baby, now wrapped in a pink blanket._

 _"So Emily," Dean spoke up, "Are you going to tell us, ah, what's going on with the kid?"_

 _Emily paused for a moment then said, "Her parents were killed by something .I'm not sure what, because it was gone by the time I got there. I'm just trying to figure out what to do with her now."_

 _"And you thought bringing her on a hunt was a good idea?" Sam questioned._

 _"Well, that was kind of an accident," Emily replied, sinking into the seat._

 _"Don't worry," Dean said, "We'll get you both out of here."_

 _Later on at the hotel Dean had been left with the baby while Emily and Sam left to retrieve some weapons she had gathered that she didn't want winding up in the wrong hands. "Looks like it's just you and me little girl," Dean commented, walking the baby around the room. She was extremely calm, yawning in this stranger's arm. He had to admit, the kid was adorable. She was small, with a few bits of hair and big eyes that looked like they might be turning green._

 _"Ah, is someone ready for a nap?" Dean asked, "Yeah, someone's ready for a nap." He laid her down on one of the beds, and put the blanket over her. "There you go." It was then he noticed the tip of a piece of paper sticking out from a pocket of the shabby dipper bag. Curious, he pulled it out and discovered serval more pieces of paper. Except they weren't paper. They were pictures. One was of Emily and the baby, smaller than she was now. Emily had her hand up to the lens, as if she was trying to stop the picture from being taken. The other one was her in what looked to be a hospital, clearly drugged out, limply holding the baby. That didn't make any sense. Why would she be in a hospital bed with someone else's kid? Unless she had lied about where she got her. Unless this was her child._

 _Dean quickly undid the large piece of paper that caught Dean's attention. He slowly unwrapped it, suddenly afraid of what he'd find. Sure enough, it was a birth certificate. And the spot for the mother's name, it said:_ Emily Dawson.

 _Just then the door opened. "Well, that was worth the run," Sam was saying._

 _"Trust me," Emily was saying, "You don't want these..."_

 _"What is this?" Dean said, standing up and holding out the birth certificate._

 _Emily eyes widened and she looked almost terrified. "Dean, I can explain..."_

 _"You mean the take-your-daughter to work day or why you lied to us about it?" Dean challenged._

 _"It really was an accident," Emily said, "I wouldn't put her in danger like that, I'm just figuring out what I want to do. And I didn't tell you because..."_

 _Suddenly it struck him. "Is she..."_

 _Tears were welling in her eyes now. "Yes." She sobbed, letting the tears fall down._

 _Dean froze, not even knowing where to began. "I...I have a daughter?"_

 _Emily nodded. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."_

 _Before things could go any further there was a knock on the door and a man's voice called out, "State Trooper, open up!"_

 _The three looked at each other. "Did anyone see you guys?" Dean asked._

 _"No," Sam replied._

 _"Open up!" The trooper called again._

 _"Look," Sam said, "I'll handle this, you two, just stand back and...try not to kill each other."_

 _Emily stepped behind Sam as he opened a door. "Is there a problem officer?"_

 _"A small one Sam," The trooper said, pulled off his sunglasses and revealing a pair of demonic black eyes, "We just, ah, need you all to come with us."_

 _Instantly Sam splashed holy water on the creature. "Grab the kid and run."_

 _While Emily scooped up the baby Dean stabbed the demon fatally. They ran into the door way only to find four more demons getting out of the police car._

 _"Give me the knife," Sam demanded, holding out his hand, "I'll buy you two some time to get out."_

 _"Sam, no," Dean replied._

 _"You wanna make your daughter an orphan?" Sam snapped back, "If we're lucky."_

 _Dean placed the knife in Sam's hand, then grabbed Emily by the arm and rushed to the car._

 _"Won't this be fun," A female demon commented in a sing-song voice, grinning like a child that had been promised ice cream._

 _"Easy there, sugar," The new lead demon warned, "We need this one alive."_

 _"Just try it," Sam warned._

 _"Gladly," The demon said, before an unseen force pinned Sam to the ground, hard. He leant down and said, "Damn, he's not out yet." He took Sam's head in his hands as he said, "Looks like we're gonna have to do it the hard way."_

 _"Ooh, ooh," The female demon said enthusiastically, "Can I do it?"_

 _"Sure, baby girl," The lead demon said, stepping back, "But remember..."_

 _"Yeah, yeah, we need him alive," The female demon said, sounding almost board, "But I can leave him a little bruised, right?"_

 _However, before the demon could do anything they were interrupted by the sound of skidding tires and bodies hitting the ground. Sam found he was able to blot up and slash at the female demon. As ran to the waiting Impala, he stabbed the lead demon fatally, then ran to the open door, getting in the back and slamming the door._

 _"I can't believe you didn't tell me," Dean saying to Emily as he drove at break-neck speeds, "What kind of person doesn't tell someone they're having their baby?! Didn't you think I would want to know, that I had a right to know?! And what kind of name is Hunter? Serious, that's not even a girl's name."_

 _"Actually it's gender neutral," Emily replied, "And since her mom was a hunter, and her dad was a hunter, it just seemed to fit."_

 _"Yeah, even though you didn't want to tell the dad about her," Dean shot back._

 _"Uh, guys," Sam spoke up from the back, "Is this really the time and place to have this conversation?"_

 _That turned the whole car quiet enough to hear a pin drop. "Sam's right," Dean said finally, "We need to put as much distance between ourselves and those mooks as possible, and regroup. But then...we are talking about this."_

 _They didn't stop driving for the next two days. When they finally got to Bobby's a whole different kind of Hell broke loose._

 _"I don't know what you want me to stay," Emily said._

 _"How about why," Dean snapped, "Why did you hide her from me?"_

 _"Because I wasn't sure if I was even going to keep her," Emily revealed, "I mean, look at our lives Dean. Look at happened, think about where it could've gone. That's why-before she was born I started looking into adoption. "_

 _"Okay," Dean countered, "Then why do you still have her?"_

 _"Because I hit a snag on some issues I had a few years ago, and I had leave before I could fill out the paperwork," Emily said, "I was still going to do it, but...she's my daughter and I love her. God forgive me, I know it's selfish, but I can't let her go. That's why I went of this hunt. I thought if I could remind myself of how dangerous it was, I could bring myself my do it."_

 _"Really?" Dean deadpanned, "You put Hunter in danger so you can take her out of it? Does that sound like a sane plan to anyone else in this room?!" He looked to Sam and Bobby for support._

 _"I gotta admit, it wasn't the best plan in the world Emily," Bobby said._

 _"And do you have any bright ideas?" Emily challenged._

 _"Maybe quit the life when you realized you wanted to keep her?" Sam suggested._

 _"Because that always works out so well," Emily mocked._

 _"You could've asked me," Dean seethed, "I'm older, I'm her father, if you had just talked to me we could've figured something out."_

 _"You mean like you are with the Apocalypse?" Emily shouted._

 _The room got deathly silent again. Which was how they were able to hear the truck pull up outside. "Here, Winchester, Winchester, Winchester," A familiar, female, sing-song voice said, "Come out and play."_

 _Dean ran over to the window and looked out and saw to his horror, the female demon from the motel, alive but battered, leading a new group of demons._

 _"Damn," Dean cursed, "It's that psychotic woman child from the hotel."_

 _"Sam," Bobby quickly ordered, "Take Emily and baby to the panic, and then meet us back here."_

 _"I'm not leaving you guys to fend for yourselves," Emily protested._

 _"Well, we can't leave Hunter to fend herself," Bobby pointed out, "I think we have a better shot on our own than she does."_

 _Seeing his point she allowed Sam, who had picked up Hunter, to lead her to the panic room._

 _While Sam was doing that Dean and Bobby got on either side of the door. "I count five including your friend from the motel," Bobby said, speaking out, "Which I'm assuming is the one with the gapping slash in her chest."_

 _Dean nodded. "I could've swore that bitch was dead."_

 _"You can't get rid of me that easy Winchesters," She called out, as if she could hear what was going on inside, "Harlow, would you do the honors?"_

 _Suddenly the door swung open, hitting Bobby in the face. Dean lunged at the first demon, only to find himself thrown across the room. As he righted himself he saw the female demon sauntering towards him with a manic smile on her face. "That was a very mean thing you did, " She said, "Killing my friends."_

 _"What can I tell you sister," Dean replied, "Easy come, easy go."_

 _"Not so easy," The demon giggled, pulling out and knife and grabbing Dean by the collar, "'Cause I can do anything to you I want."_

 _Just then Bobby got a hold of the knife, stabbing two of the other demons._

 _"Meanie!" The demon shouted, sending Bobby into the wall, "I'll deal with you later."_

 _Just then Sam busted armed an extra angel blade they hand lying around. He stabbed one demon before an invisible forced pinned him against the wall._

 _"You can wait too," The demon said, "Now," She put her knife on the side of Dean's face, "I think I'll start by giving you a mark to match your pretty little girlfriend's. Would you like that ,hum?"_

 _Dean felt the first sharp pain of the knife cutting into his skin then suddenly the demon let go of both him and the knife, screaming. Steam was coming up from her back. She turned around and found Emily with an open flask of holy water the scared liquid dripping out from brim._

 _"Okay," She said, reaching out and grabbing Emily by the throat, "I guess I'll have to deal with you first." Then she trusted the knife into Emily's chest._

 _"No!" Dean shouted, finally getting back to his feet and pulling the demon off of Emily, but it was too late. The young huntress was on the ground bleeding out._

 _Dean picked up the demon knife from where it landed, and killed the demon, then rushed to Emily, putting his hand on the wound. "If I can stop the bleeding then..."_

 _"Dean..."Her voice trailed off, "Hunter..."_

 _"As long as you left her in the panic room, she'll be fine," Dean said, "Sam! Bobby!"_

 _Other two men were halfway over to them. "Aw, Hell," Bobby cursed, "Strait threw and threw."_

 _"You need to...promise me..."Emily said weakly._

 _"No," Dean said, "Don't talk like that. You're going to be fine. I'm still not done wringing you out for your questionable parenting choices."_

 _Emily managed a smile with blood-stained teeth. "Take care of Hunter?" She requested, "Do what's best for her."_

 _"I will," Dean vowed, "I promise."_

 _"T-thank...y-y-you," Emily managed to say, then closed her eyes._

 _Two hours later the three hunters watched as Emily's body burned on the pier in silence. Dean had Hunters cradled in his arms._

 _"What are we going to do with her?" Sam asked at last._

 _"The only thing I can do," Dean replied, blankly._

 **Cicero Indiana**

 **Two Days Later**

 _Lisa wasn't surprised to see Dean Winchester and his brother Sam on her doorstep, as he had called saying he needed to ask a favor of her, but wanted to actually ask it in person. She however, was surprised to see him holding a little baby girl._

 _"Dean what are you doing with her?" She asked._

 _"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Dean replied somberly._

 _And so Dean told Lisa about everything that had happened and asked him if she would take in Hunter, at least for the time being._

 _"I know it's too much to ask," Dean finished, "And I understand if you say no, but with what's going on I can't walk away. Not yet at least."_

 _"What exactly is going on right now?" Lisa._

 _"You don't wanna know," Dean assured her, "But...it's bad. It's what got Emily killed."_

 _"Alright," Lisa replied, "I'll do it."_

 _Both Dean and Sam looked at Lisa in surprise. While yes, this had been their only hope, they never thought she would actually do it._

 _"Really?" Dean asked hopefully._

 _"Who could say no to this little heartbreaker?" Lisa retorted, weakly smiling._

 _"Thank you, Lisa," Dean said, clearly grateful, "Thank you so much. You don't know what this-"_

 _"I think I do," Lisa interjected._

 _A few hours later, after they had did everything they could to help get Hunter settled, Dean drove away, tears streaming down his face._

 **Cicero Indiana**

 **Four Months Later**

 _"How's she doing?" Lisa asked, walking into the living room, where Dean and Hunter were lying in the floor on a blanket._

 _"She's got that squeaky octopus thing right where she wants it," Dean answered, "I think it might owe her money."_

 _Lisa smiled. This was best she had seen Dean since he got here. "And you're sure you'll be okay?"_

 _"I think I watch my own kid for half an hour," Dean assured her, "But thanks for the concern."_

 _"Okay," Lisa replied, "But just in case, quick rundown before I go. I got formula bottles ready in the ridge, dippers' are in the nursery, and if it's a real emergency, call me, alright?"_

 _"Okay, Mom," Dean snorted, "Don't worry, Lisa, I got this." Then he looked down at Hunter, who had her free hand wrapped around one of his finger and said in the dumbest baby voice you ever heard, "Don't we got this, hun? Is Aunt Lisa just being silly? Silly Aunt Lisa!"_

 _"Ha, ha," Lisa said ,then finally heading for the door added, "Goodbye Dean." Then waving at the baby said, "Goodbye Hunter." Then she finally went out the door._

 _"Looks like it's just you and me baby girl," Dean observed._

 _For the first five minutes everything was fine. Dean let Hunter roll around on the blanket, and when she started crying he got her a bottle._

 _"There you go," Dean said as she sucked on the bottle, "And Aunt Lisa was worried." After a minute, he added, "Tough to tell you the truth, I don't really blame her. I haven't exactly been the most stable person lately." He brought his head a little closer to his daughter so their foreheads were slightly touching as he said, "But I got an awesome reason to hang on."_

 _Just then there was the sound of a commotion outside and Dean could swear head a baritone that he hadn't heard in a while saying, "Sam, you're being ridiculous! You have to tell Dean you're not dead, it's cruel not to!"_

 _"I think I might have spoke too soon," Dean said fairly certain this was some kind of hallucination, but going to the door anyway._

 _"I'm being cruel to be kind!" Sam's voice argued, "I've been watching them. It was a little touch and go there for a while , but Dean's finally happy! If I go in there, he'll just leave! And what do you know?! It's not like you've been around lately!"_

 _Dean opened the door to fin Cas dragging a struggling up to the door, saying "Well, it's a good thing I-" His voice trailed off as he noticed a stunned Dean staring at him. "Oh," He said, "Hello Dean. Good news, I managed to raise Sam from perdition, but he did not inform you of this development because he is truly a horrible person." That last part was more directed at Sam, "Would you mind helping me get him inside?"_

 _All Dean could manage to say was, "Hun?"_

 _"See?" Sam spoke up, "You broke him! Again!"_

 _"No, I'll be fine," Dean managed to say, "I just...don't have a freakin' clue what's going on. Did I fall asleep? Am I dreaming? I mean, don't get me wrong, if this is a dream it's an improvement, but..."_

 _"I assure, you Dean, this is very real," Cas replied, walking past Dean into the house._

 _After getting Sam sat down on the couch, then running a battery of test on both him and Cas, Dean had a bunch of questions._

 _"Oaky, so you got Sam out of Hell," Dean stated, "How? I mean, Lucifer's cage that's gotta be...the most guarded place in the pit." At least he hoped it was. He didn't the Apocalypse starting again._

 _"It wasn't easy," Cas explained, "I nearly forgot his soul."_

 _Both Winchesters did a double take._

 _"But I didn't," Cas replied, "I checked and went back for it."_

 _"See," Sam spoke up, "This is another reason I didn't let Dean know I was alive. I had no clue what brought me back, I didn't know if there was some grand evil plan I was bringing right to their door, I mean, couldn't you have a least left a note?"_

 _Cas just stared, not really comprehending._

 _"Never mind," Sam said, " I prayed to you so many times that I lost count, and you never bothered to answer."_

 _"I've been a little busy with a civil war," Cas countered._

 _Again, both men balked. "You could've lead with that." Dean said._

 _"You just seem more concerned with Sam being alive," Cas replied._

 _"Speaking of which," Dean said, "If you're so busy why'd you take time to drag Sam back here?"_

 _"I had flown off-course," Cas replied, "I found Sam, and he wasn't with you, and I...I believe the phrase is lost it?"_

 _"Yeah," Sam "That's a good word for it."_

 _Dean gave his younger brother a questioning look, and Cas just turned as stared at Sam. "Y-you tackled me, knocked me out, brought me here, and when I woke up and tried to get away use your tie to tie my hands behind my back, and when I fought back, you bit me!" Sam pulled down his shirt revealing a very deep teeth indentions in the shape of a human mouth, first showing it to Cas, then Dean._

 _"Yeah," Dean said, "Yeah, that's a...nasty bite. Maybe we should get that checked."_

 _Just then the door opened and Lisa's voice called out, "Okay, we're back-" Her voice trailed off as she noticed the motley crew in her living room._

 _"Here, take your niece for a minute," Dean said, handing Hunter off to Sam than standing up. "Lisa, Ben," He began, "You remember Sam. Apparently, he's alive. And this is Castiel, the angel I told you about."_

 _"Nice to meet you?" Lisa said slowly, still processing what was happening._

 _"Nice to meet you, too," Cas said equally awkward, "I heard a lot of good things from Dean."_

 _"Dean," Lisa began, "What is going on?"_

 _"I'm still trying to figure that out myself," Dean began, "But, ah, the broad strokes is, Cas got Sam out of Hell, but Sam was didn't know how he got out so he was staying away, and when Cas found out he him brought him back here, they explained all that, and that was about when you came in."_

 _"Well," Sam said standing up and handing Hunter to Dean, "It looks like you two have a lot to talk about so, I'll just-"_

 _"Oh, no you don't," Dean said, pushing Sam back down, "And you're not going anywhere either." He pointed at Cas, "You're explaining the civil war thing in more detail."_

 _Lisa just blinked. This was all moving way too fast for her._

 _"Maybe I should take Hunter upstairs," Ben suggested._

 _"Yeah," Lisa said blankly, "You do that."_

 **Cicero Indiana**

 **Present Day**

"Five years later, we're here," Dean finished, "Crammed in a car with our doppelgangers spying on our kids first day of school, and apparently not checking with each other about it."

"And the civil war?" Sam asked, "How did that end?" He couldn't picture how that happened without a lot of fallout.

"You know how they killed Julius Caesar?" Cas spoke up, "It was kind of like, except more complicated."

"And what do you have to do with any of this?" Dean asked Bobby, "You only came up once during that story."

"I check in," Bobby protested, "And I watch her sometimes. I have as much stake in this as anyone else in this car."

"Speaking of which, is there any way we can get out of this car?" Sam spoke up, "We're gonna need a little room for the spell."

"I think there's an ally way behind the school," That universe's Dean said, "You could get out and do it there-"

"I think Hunter just fell," Cas suddenly declared, pointing out the window.

All head turned towards the playground where the five-year-old was on the ground. Another little girl in a black-and-white pentifore helped her up and the two ran off.

"That's my girl," The other Dean observed.

"Great," Dean said, trying to sooch out, "Now that we got that taken care of could you guys let us out?"

It took a little moving around but eventually Sam and Dean were able to half slide, half fall out, pick themselves up and head to the ally.

For once Sam and Dean were able to put the ingredients together carefully. Then Sam read the spell, " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

A trash can fell over as the wind gushed, and then once again, came the bright flash of light.

A few hours later Dean was waiting with the other first day Kindergarten parents for Hunter to come out. Finally he saw the little girl running out of the doors. "Daddy!" She shouted when she saw her father, running to him.

"Hey, there, honey," Dean said as she practically leapt in his arms, then noticing she was holding something said, "What's that?"

"My name tag," Hunter replied then as the two walked hand in hand to the card she continued to chatter happily about her day.

"So, how'd it go?" Sam asked when they got to the card.

"I think we got another geek on her hands," Dean commented.

"Geek?" Hunter squeaked.

"It's mean's your..."Dean tried, "Really enthusiastic about learning."

"Oh," Hunter replied softly, "Cool."

 _"Sure,"_ Dean thought, " _Let's go with that."_

Still, he couldn't help but smile.


	37. Switch

**AN: Special thanks to JoeFandome for this request. I hope you like it.**

When the light faded this time, they found themselves in another parking lot, except this time it was in front of a cheap motel. Also, staring at them in a half-opened doorway, a thin boy of about thirteen, with wide brown eyes.

Dean opened his mouth to speak and get up, but the boy had already running back into the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Hey!" Dean shouted, running and banging towards the door, "Hey, open up!"

"Dean, don't " Sam began, getting up and trying to stop him," Look, for once, we're not under attack by anyone, let's just get the spell ready and go. I don't think thirteen year old me is going to be any trouble."

"Yeah, but seventeen year old me might," Dean responded, beginning to pick the lock.

"Alright, maybe," Sam conceded, "Still, maybe we shouldn't antagonized them? I mean, it will only slow them down, and they're just kids. They're scared and alone."

"I guess you're right," Dean said, starting to lean against the door, but that caused it to open, as Dean had succeeded in picking a lock. Startled the pair looked around the room, and were surprised to see it deserted.

"Hey, Sam," Dean called out, "Sam, it's okay! We're not going to hurt you!"

"Dean, let's just go," Sam said, pulling his brother back.

"Look, it that kid runs off who knows what will happen to him," Dean argued, "And if he gets hurt, then that's on our heads."

"Good point." Sam replied.

Just then, they heard a crash from the bathroom. They both ran into it to find the younger version of Sam straddling a window seal.

"Okay, there," Sam said leaping out, and grabbing his younger self before the boy could make the jump, "That's a really, really bad idea."

"No!" The boy shouted, kicking , thrashing and generally struggling to free himself, "Let go of me. Let! Go! Of! Me!" At that point he managed to get a good kick in Sam's groin.

Dean took the boy from Sam when a little voice from the other side of the window called out, "Sam?! Sam, what's happening?!"

"Run!" Sam shouted, "Just run!"

The older Sam ran over to the window to see a young boy crouched on the grass behind the motel.

"Hey, there," Sam said softly, not wanting to frightened the boy anymore. He wondered who he was. Clearly he was of some relation to them, he had features similar to Dean's when he was a kid, but he was too young to actually be Dean. This kid had to be nine at the most. Maybe they had an extra brother in this universe.

"What are you doing to my brother?" The boy asked, still clearly terrified.

"Nothing," Sam assured him, "We just wanna make sure you two don't get into trouble." He held a hand out the window, offering it to the boy, "Come, on, let's get you too back inside."

The boy looked at his hand like it was gonna bite him.

"It's okay." Sam replied, "Look, my name's Sam, like your brother. What's yours?"

"Dean."


	38. The Protector And The Protected

_"Well,"_ Sam thought, staring down at the boy, _"This is a new one."_ "Nice to meet you, Dean," Sam replied, pulling himself further out of the window, which was a tough fit, "Will you come with me now?"

Dean looked at him skeptically.

The younger Sam was trying to warn his brother against it, very loudly, but the older Dean was covered his mouth to muffle the screams.

So the younger Dean decided to trust the man who had went to so much trouble to retrieve him, grabbing both his hands.

"There we go," Sam said, starting to pull back into the window only to realize he couldn't. "Crap. Ah, Dean! We got a problem out here!"

"What?" Dean asked from inside, "What's wrong?"

"I'm stuck," Sam replied, his humiliation rising as he spoke.

"What?" Dean responded in disbelief.

"I'm stuck!" Sam repeated, "I can't move. It's too narrow."

"Okay," Dean replied, setting the younger Sam down, "We're heading out to you, and we'll figure it out from now." Then addressing the younger Sam he said, "Fallow me."

Dean marched out of the room only to realize he was alone, then he turned back to the bathroom and said, "I can't help but notice you're not fallowing."

"Not until you tell me what's going on." Sam replied, crossing his arms, "And not until I know you're not gonna hurt Dean."

"Well, we can't can we?" Dean, who hadn't heard younger Dean and his Sam's conversation, "He's not here. It's just you and that little guy out there."

The younger Sam blinked. "Dean _is_ the little guy out there."

Dean stared at Sam blankly. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah," His Sam said from the window, "Apparently the difference between this universe and ours is the birth order."

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **January 24, 1983**

 _Sam stared down at the apricot jam sandwich the neighbor lady he was staying with until his parent's got back from the hospital was forcing him to eat._

 _"Sam, stop looking at that like it's your enemy and eat it," Ms. Wilson commanded._

 _Sam took a bite then immediately spit it out. "Stupid sandwich," He mumbled, "Stupid babysitter, stupid baby!"_

 _Hearing that, Ms. Wilson walked over to the table and knelt down so she was about Sam's size. "Is that what all this is about?" She asked, "You're upset over the baby?"_

 _"It's evil and it has everyone brainwashed," Sam replied in way that clearly showed he was four._

 _Ms. Wilson smirked a little. "Sam, do you even know what brainwashing is?"_

 _"Yes," He replied, "It makes people think things that aren't true."_

 _Ms. Wilson chuckled a little. "Listen, Sammy, take it from someone with three younger siblings, this baby isn't going to make your parents love you any less, and I know it doesn't seem like it right now, but when it gets here, you're going to love it, too."_

 _Sam had his doubts. "I don't think so."_

 _Ms. Wilson laughed again, rubbing his head. Just then her phone rang and she went over to answer it. "Hello?" She said, then listened to the voice on the other end of the line before saying, "Oh, hey John."_

 _Sam turned at the mention of his father's name._

 _"Yeah, he's fine," Ms. Wilson continued, "So, how's Mary?" There was a minute of conversation than Ms. Wilson was grinning from ear to ear. "Really? That's great! And how's the little guy doing?" After a moment she said, "Great. How long do you have to stay in the hospital? " "Great. I'll let him know. See you soon." She hung up the phone and turned to Sam who was staring at her. "Good news, Sammy, you're mom's out of the hospital and they're coming with the baby to get take you home."_

 _Sam looked down lightly kicking his feet._

 _"Don't worried," Ms. Wilson assured him, "Everything will be fine."_

 _Fifteen minutes later there was the doorbell ring and Ms. Wilson went to answer it. Sam could see who it was, but she gasped in surprise, saying, "Should you really be up right now?"_

 _"I'll be fine for a little bit," His mother voice said._

 _"Mommy!" Sam shouted in joy, running to Ms. Wilson and trying to push past her. She grabbed onto him, laughing, "I think someone wants to see you."_

 _Ms. Wilson stepped out of the way, revealing Mary Winchester looking a little worn, holding a blue swathed buddle. "Hey, sweetie," Mary said, as Sam wrapped his arms around her legs, "There's someone I want you to meet."_

 _Mary knelt down and Sam stepped back, peering into the bundle seeing a tiny pink face, staring up at the new creature in curiosity with a newborn's blue eyes._

 _"This is Dean," Mary explained, relishing the amazed look on her eldest's face, "He's your baby brother."_

 _"He's so beautiful," Sam beamed, "Can I hold him?"_

 _Mary looked at Ms. Wilson for permission to stay a little longer, and she nodded._

 _"Of course, sweetie," Mary said and she and John lead him over to the couch._

 _Mary carefully handed Dean to Sam, while John instructed, "Be careful, bud, make sure to support his head."_

 _Sam did, using the other hand to stroke his brother cheek. Suddenly the creature that he had regarded with suspicion for nine months was special and precious. Ms. Wilson had been right. He didn't even know Dean yet, but he loved him so much._

 _Latter on that night, Sam was awoken by the sound of Dean crying. He stood up from his spot on the floor and went over to the crib._

 _He had snuck out of his room in middle of the night, so he could keep Dean safe while he slept._

 _"It's okay, Dean," Sam assured the infant as he tried to figure out how to remove him from the crib, "You don't have to cry."_

 _"Sam?" He heard his father's tired voice ask._

 _Sam turned around to see John standing in the doorway. "What are you-" Then he saw Sam's comforter on the ground, "Were you sleeping in here?"_

 _"I have to look after Dean," Sam offered for an explanation._

 _John scoffed good naturedly, shaking his head. "Listen bud," John said, as he went over and picked up the baby, "Your room is close enough that you don't need to be in here with to look after him. And besides, there are a few things we adults can take care of." After inspecting Dean, he declared, "See? It wasn't even something either of us can deal with."_

 _"Why?" Sam asked._

 _"I'm pretty sure he's hungry," John explained, "And that's something that's mom job right now."_

 _"Why?" Sam asked._

 _John was silent before awkward say, "Ah...I'll tell you when you're older. Why don't we get him to your mom, okay?"_

 _"Alright," Sam conceded, fallowing his father and brother._

 **Harrowgate, Organ**

 **Present Day**

"Wow," Dean said, "Wow, that actually explains a lot." Then turning to the younger Sam, said, "Look, Sam, I get it, I'm an older brother, too, but I promise you, we did not come here with any intention of hurting you or Dean. This was a total accident on our part, and the sooner we get my little brother out of that window, the sooner we can explain what's going on and leave!"

"Alright," Sam gave in, marching outside.

When they got outside, the younger Dean was feeling the side of the window. "Do you feel anything?" The older Sam asked, "Any kind of give?"

Dean just shook his head.

"Dean!" The younger Sam called out to his brother upon seeing him.

"Sam!" The boy exclaimed running to him and wrapping his arms around the older boy's abdomen.

"Are you alright?" The younger Sam asked as the boy let go.

"Yeah," Dean replied.

"Alright," The older Dean said, walking past the children, "What do we have here? Can you move at all?"

"Only the parts that aren't in the window." Sam replied.

"Well, you got in there," Dean said, "There's gotta be some way to get you out." After thinking a minute he said, "Okay, let's try this. I'm stronger than the little guy over there, so I'm just gonna grab your hands and pull."

Sam wordless put his hands in Dean's and he stepped back, pulling with all his might. Nothing. So he pulled even harder. Still nothing. "Okay, new plan," He said, then looking at their younger parallel counter parts, added, "Hey, you two, get over here."

The two slowly walked over to them.

"Okay, tiny Dean," He said, pointing to his other universe, self, "You, go grab onto Sam's hands. My Sam, not yours."

The younger Dean walked over to the man stuck in the window and wrapped his small hands in his much larger ones.

"Now you grab a hold of your brother's side," The older Dean instructed the younger Sam.

He did, then Dean grabbed a hold of his side.

"Okay, on the count of three, we all pull, okay?" Dean instructed.

The younger two nodded.

"One, two, three!" Dean shouted, and together they pulled, but the elder Sam wouldn't budge. "Okay, again," Dean said, "One two three!" Again they pulled with all their might and this time Sam actually moved a little. "Dean!" He shouted in joy, "Dean I think it's working!"

"Great," Dean replied, "Let's do it again, then. One, two three!"

They pulled again and Sam moved a little more. A few more pulls and he was fell from the window.

"You okay?" Dean said, helping him up.

"Yeah, I think so," Sam said, dusting himself off.

"Great now that we got that established," The younger Sam spoke up, "Will you please tell us what is going on?!"

Seeing as the kids had been such troopers, they ushered them back into the room, sat them down and explained everything.

"So you're Dean and me from another universe," The younger Sam repeated once they were done.

"Yeah, that's basically it," Sam confirmed.

"But Dean-your Dean said you were the younger one," Sam said, pointing at his at his parallel counterpart.

"That's because he is," The elder Dean said, "Apparently that's the big thing different in our universes."

"That's..." The younger Sam began, "That's just too weird."

"You're telling me." Dean said, "As far as I'm concerned the sooner we can get out of this one the better."

Noticing his little brother slowly drifting off with his head on his shoulder, Sam said, "I should probably be getting this one to bed anyway."

So Dean and Sam walked out shutting the door behind them. Dean readied the ingredients then Sam read the words. " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

As perusal, the wind picked up, causing a flower pot somewhere to tip over.

"So much for the kid getting some sleep," Sam commented as the white light engulfed him.


	39. Black Again

**AN: Thank you toonanimals317 for this request.**

Before their vision cleared they could hear the sound of objects being thrown around. When they could see they found themselves surrounded by walls covered with rotting wood paneling. Despite themselves they hoped they might be back at the cabin until they heard Sam's voice curse.

They crept towards the noise and found this universe's Sam in the drawing room pinned to the wall, in front of him a figure they couldn't see well from where they were, and even if they could its back was to them, stood in front of him.

"And I thought you were suppose to be though," The figure, who they assumed was a demon, sneered.

Just when they were considering going into a help, a voice called out "Hey!" and the demon was thrown across the room. That universe's Dean came into view, saying, "The only one who gets to throw my little brother across the room is me!"

That was when they saw it.

At that moment, that universe's eyes were a dull, dead black.


	40. As Long As It Takes

As that universe's Sam fell to the ground, the -apparently-demon Dean marched over to where he had his fellow demon pinned, pulling out the knife. They couldn't see what he was doing but they heard the other demon groan in pain.

"Dean!" That universe's Sam shouted, "What have I said about playing with your food?"

"Right," Dean said, "Sorry." They heard the sound of the knife going into flesh.

"You know, you scare me when you do that," Sam said, dusting himself off as he got to his feet.

"Yeah, well, I scare myself when I do that," Dean replied, coming back into view, "What can I say? You knew what you were getting."

"Please don't start that again," Sam requested.

"Ah, you were the one who just-" Dean began, but was interrupted by Sam.

"Dean," He was saying pointing at their doppelgangers trying to hide themselves in the doorway.

"Really?" The Dean in the doorway exclaimed, "He's still a demon and you're having a go at _us_?!"

 **Beulah, North Dakota**

 **2015**

 _"Dean?" Sam called out, as he stepped through the door of the abandoned colonial he believed his brother to be squatting in, "Dean, it's me, Sam. "_

 _It had been two and half months since Dean had disappeared from the bunker. A few weeks after it first happened Sam found a video of Dean sporting black eyes. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on until he tracked down Crowley who told him that yes, Dean had been turned into a demon, and no, he hadn't a bloody clue where he was. Apparently Dean had ran off the night after Crowley had taken him. Of course that meant there was no reason to keep him alive then._

 _As the weeks past Sam began to fear to the worst. Had Dean killed himself to prevent him from hurting people? Or had he given into his urges? Or worst, a combination of both, hurting someone else then deciding to end his life?_

 _So when he heard reports of someone who looked like Dean squatting in a house and North Dakota, he went to investigate._

 _A crash came from upstairs and Sam bolted up the steps. "Dean?!" He called out again to no replay. He quickly slucked towards the sound and found a bedroom where an old shelf had been turned over and someone was sitting behind it. Slowly that person turned around, revealing himself to be Dean Winchester._

 _"Dean," Sam gasped, holstering the gun and slowly stepping towards his brother, grateful he was alive._

 _"Stay away Sam," Dean pleaded, getting to his feet and backing away slowly, "Just get out of here!"_

 _"It's okay," Sam said, "Crowley told me everything."_

 _"And you still looked for me?" Dean replied, "You should have stayed as far away as possible!"_

 _"There's no way I'd leave you out here," Sam responded, "Just-come back to the bunker with me Dean, we can figure this out. We'll get some blood, and-"_

 _"I already tried that," Dean seethed, "It didn't work. I don't know why, but it didn't. If I weren't so much of a coward, I'd-"_

 _"Don't," Sam cut him off, "Don't you dare say what I know you're going to say."_

 _"Well, I don't see any other option here, Sam!" Dean shouted. "It's only matter of time before I turn into a complete monster, so just get Crowley to give you the blade and let me-" Dean's voice trailed off, breathing heavily._

 _"That's gonna be a little hard seeing as I killed him." Sam replied._

 _Dean was quieted for a moment, then he smirked saying, "Sorry I wasn't there to see that."_

 _"Actually, it was pretty by numbers." Sam informed him, "He didn't even get the chance to put up much of a fight."_

 _Suddenly the tension in the room, while not completely gone, thinned a bit. Sam took a few more steps toward Dean, then grabbed onto him, encasing him in a crushing hug. "Don't worry, Dean," He said, "We'll figure something out. I won't give up until we do."_

 **Dead Owl Creek, Montana**

 **Present Day**

"We're working on it," That universe's Sam replied, "So, what's the deal with you two?"

"We're from a different universe," Dean spoke up, "We were hunting a witch, she got the jump on us, sent us to a parallel universe, and now we're just trying to get back to ours and failing."

"And we were able to cure Dean of being a demon," Sam added, "We're still working on getting the actual mark off, thought."

"How did you cure me?" That universe's Dean spoke up.

"Pumped him with human blood until he got back to human," Sam answered, "Well, after he tried to kill me, but that's another matter."

Demon Dean's face fell.

"But I was okay," Sam said, trying to salvage the situation, "And he felt guilty about after he back to human."

"No, it's not that," Demon Dean replied, "Unlike your Dean my personality was more or less unchanged, but...none of the regular methods work for me. Including human blood. I mean, we've pumped enough in me to make another human."

"Oh," Dean replied, "I'm so sorry."

"Not your fault," His demon counterpart said, "It's not like I've killed anybody yes, so-"

Now it was the human Dean's face's turn to fall.

"Oh," Demon Dean said, unsure of what else to say.

"Do you need any help?" That universe's Sam asked, trying to change to subject, "With the spell you're using, I mean?"

"No," Sam said, "No, we got it all here." He gestured to the bag.

The Winchesters of that universe watched intently as their parallel counterparts prepared the spell. When demon Dean saw Sam pick up the book he called out, "Good luck guys."

"You, too," Sam replied, " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån...


	41. Just You And Me

**Special thanks again to toonanimals317 for this request. Hope you like it. Also, happy Easter everyone!**

As their vision cleared this time, they make out the figure of some tubular shapes. As things got more into focused they saw that those were the shape of several different verities of guns. They were in Dean's room at the bunker.

They slowly turned around and saw Dean lying on the bed, with his eyes opened. Sam opened his mouth to begin to explain the situation, but then realized that universe's Dean wasn't responding to the sudden incursion. In fact, he seemed to be in a trance.

Dean slowly approaches his comatose counterpart and snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. "Wow," He said, then looking at Sam, asked, "You think he's okay?"

"I have no idea," Sam said, having no idea what was going on himself.

"Do you think maybe we should go find this universe's you?" Dean asked.

"And tell him what?" Sam challenged.

"Same thing we've telling everyone else except with the added addition of your brother's in a coma." Dean suggested.

Suddenly the Dean on the bed blinked a few times, rapidly, then sat up. "Sam?" He asked, his voice slightly deeper than usual.

"Sorry," Sam said, "I just came by and saw you like you were in a trance or something and-you kinda scared me."

"My apologies," That universe's Dean replied, a distinct change in his diction, "Dean and I were just talking."

"You and _Dean_? " Sam asked, officially confused.

"Oh, I'm Castiel," That universe's "Dean" said matter-of-factly, "I'll but the bracelet on, so there's no more-" His voice trailed off when turned and saw Dean. Suddenly his eyes started glowing blue he made to punch the intruder, but Dean ducked out of the way.

"Wow, Cas," Dean said, going along with whatever was going on, and trying to pacify his attacker, "It's alright, we're not trying anything funny. Look, me and him, we're from another universe, we were hunting this witch, things went sideways and she sent us to parallel universe, and we've trying to get back to ours ever since."

Dean/Cas lowered his fist, and turned to Sam. "Why were you pretending to be this universe's Sam?"

"Well, we weren't sure what was wrong," Sam replied, "We wanted to make sure you were okay, and we didn't want you to freak out." After a moment he added, "What are you doing in Dean's body anyway?"


	42. Two Worlds

**Heaven**

 **2013**

 _"You should've believed the bitch," Metatron said, a blade at Castiel's neck, "Get in the chair."_

 _"No," Cas seethed. He didn't know what Metatron was going to do next but he knew it wasn't going to be good._

 _Instead he grabbed the business end of the blade and tried to pry it away from his neck, and a struggle ensued. Cas pushed the ex-scribe against Naomi's desk, so hard it shifted the seraph's corpse. Metatron pushed back, managing to nick Castiel's clavicle. Cas slapped the blade out of his attacker's hand with enough he let go and it flew across the room. They both stared at it for a moment, then realizing what had happened dived across the floor for the blade. Cas almost had his hand on the blade when Metatron got a hold of it, then grabbing onto Cas' shoulder turned him around and stabbed his throat._

 _Castiel could feel his vessel slowly dying. He knew that if he didn't do something, he was going to die with it. Thinking fast, he quickly exited the shell, leaving a dismayed Metatron on the floor, wondering where he was going to get the Grace he needed now._

 **Sioux Falls, North Dotaka**

 **Four Minutes Later**

 _"Cas?!" Dean shouted, gripping onto Sam, who was wheezing in pain._

 _Suddenly a voice rang in Dean's head,_ "I'm here Dean."

 _Dean looked around. "W-where are you?"_

"Currently stuck in the ether." _The voice said again,_ "Naomi was telling the truth. Fortunately I think I was able to derail whatever his plans were. What's wrong with Sam?"

 _"I don't know," Dean replied, desperation in his voice, "I think it might be the trails, I don't think I got here in time."_

"Just try to keep him stable," _Castiel instructed,_ "I'll get back here as soon as I can, and I'll see what I can do."

 _"What does that mean?" Dean asked._

"In the struggle my vessel was damaged," _Castiel explained,_ " I had to get out or I would have died, and now I'm fairly certain some other angels just noticed me on my way out and they do not seem happy."

 _Suddenly, Dean got an idea. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do,'" He instructed, "You're gonna possess me, then we're all gonna get the Hell out of Dodge, and work from there."_

"What?" _Cas asked, not believing what he had just heard._

 _"Look, you need to get in somewhere before other angels get a hold of you," Dean reasoned, "I, in theory at least, can hold an angel. It's the simplest solution to the problem so come on, get in here."_

"Are you sure?" _Castiel asked._

 _"Yeah, come on," Dean encouraged, "Do it."_

 _Within a few seconds Dean felt an unfamiliar presence inside of him. Then, he couldn't see or hear, but could feel his mind racing as he started to panic. Then he was able to see and hear, but was unable to control his body. He could see his hands reach out and touch Sam's chest. He could see a glow coming from under said hand. The glow lasted for about a minute than faded. When it was over, Sam still looked ragged, but he was alert and generally looked better._

 _"There's too much damage to heal all at once," A voice, that sort of sounded like Dean's only somewhat deeper, "But I can do it stages."_

 _"Dean?" Sam asked, utterly confused, "What are you talking about?"_

 _'Dean' paused for a second then realizing why Sam was confused, said, "Oh, I'm not Dean, not currently at least, I'm Cas. My vessel was damaged and Dean was gracious enough to lend me his body until we could figure out something else."_

 _"Oh," Sam said, not doubting the story, but still weird out, "Okay, and where is Dean now?"_

 _"Still here," Cas said, pointing to his/Dean's head, "Don't worry, I'll relinquish control when we get back to the bunker of yours." After a minute he added, "Is that acceptable?"_

 _"Ah, sure," Sam replied, clearly still processing all of this because, even for them it was nuts._

 _"Thank you, Sam, but I wasn't talking to you," Cas replied, "I was talking to Dean." Now that it was clear who he was talking to, he added, "Well?"_

"Yeah, sure," _Dean said, from inside his mind, "_ Works for me _."_

 _Having that settled, Cas grabbed Sam by the arm and took off._

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **Present Day**

"I haven't been able to find a suitable vessel yet," Cas explained, "So Dean and I switch off. Except that makes it difficult for us to have meaningful communication, so sometimes we just meet up in the recesses of Dean's mind and talk."

"How do you switch on and off?" Dean asked, "How does this even begin to work?"

"We usually plan out a schedule when we talk," Cas replied, "For example, we decided the next week is my turn. Then Dean gets a week. Unless there's some kind of emergency on hunt, then I take over if I can be of service."

"Care to elaborate?" Dean asked.

"If someone needs healing," Cas said, "Or smiting. Or something needs smiting at the same time someone needs healings. And occasionally if a quick getaway is needed."

Suddenly a question popped into Sam's mind. "How-" He began, "How do they know which is which, you know, who's in control at that moment?"

"If I'm in control we wear this," Castiel explained, wrapping a light brown leather band around his right wrist, "It makes it less confusing for our social circle."

"Well, great for them," Dean said still a little freaked out by all this, "Now that we got all this straightened out is it okay if we get out of here."

"I'll get the stuff," Sam said, going for the bag.

"Not need," Dean said, "I put it together while he was talking. We just need to do the spell."

"Oh," Sam said, then he opened the book and began to read, " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind picked up again with such force it caused some of the guns to fall off the wall, then the boys found themselves engulfed in bright light yet again.

Once they were gone Cas stood up and went to pick up the guns. _"Really?"_ Dean's voice rang out in his mind, _"You're just gonna clean up? You're not gonna go tell anyone what just happened?"_

"I see no reason to." Castiel replied, "Their story seemed completely on the level. "

" _If you say so."_ Dean conceded.


	43. The Howling

**Special thanks to toonanimals317 for this request. Hope this one is good, too.**

Before their vision cleared Sam and Dean could feel the hard ground and prickly plants beneath them. When their vision _did_ clear they could see that there were tangled up in the brush if a forest floor. They quickly started to untangled themselves, making a whole lot of noise in the process.

When they heard a female voice they didn't recognize say, "Hey, I think I hear something," they froze in their tracks. "Do you-" The female's voice began again.

"Yeah, I do," A voice they recognized as belonging to Dean replied, "Two humans. And is it just me, or do they-"

"Yeah, they do," A voice they recognized as Sam's said, "That's -weird, man."

"We can't have any unexpected surprises, there's too much at stake," The female voice said, "Sam, go check it out."

They heard rustling through the trees and renewed their struggle to get free, Dean actually managing to stand up, and go over to Sam to help get a tree limb off of him.

They had barely gotten free when that universe's Sam appeared through the trees. He started at the two for a moment shock then got a look of pain on his face, closing his eyes. The pair watched in horror as claws grew from that Sam's hands, fangs appeared in his mouth as he screamed and when he opened his eyes, they had turned yellow. Then he leaned back his head and let out a long, loud, eerie howl.


	44. The Pack

At the sound of the howl there was more rustling in the trees before Dean and a blonde woman they didn't recognize appeared, both wolfed out.

The pair looked confused for a moment, then looked to the werewolf Sam. It appeared as if they were having some type of silent conversation.

"Look," Sam spoke up, "I don't know if you can understand me, but if you can I can explain all of this."

The Winchesters of that universe looked to the woman standing between them. After a few moments they eased up and the woman nodded with her head for the human Sam to continue.

"We're them from another universe," Sam explained, "We were hunting this witch, we're hunters in our universe, which I'm guessing you're not, or at least you have a serious conflict of interest, anyway, she was expecting us, and she did this spell that sent us to a parallel universe and we've been repeating the spell, trying to get back to our universe, but we kept winding up in the wrong universe."

The werewolf Winchesters looked to the woman, who appeared to be mulling human Sam's explanation over. After a second her claws and fangs retracted, and her eyes changed to a light a blue. When she saw her Sam and Dean still wolfed out, she gave them an annoyed look, then they fallowed her example.

"Well, you keep them on a short leash, don't you," Human Dean commented, a bit unnerved at how their werewolf selves seem to defer to her.

"I'm Dean's mate, and Sam's Alpha." The woman offered in way of explanation.

"Alpha?" Dean asked, "In like, the first werewolf ever made?"

"It can be that, too," The woman replied, "Whoever came up with the packs ranking system should have probably taken that legend into consideration. However, in this case I mean the pack leader. Me and Dean married after he presented as one to avoid any conflict between us." Looking over at Dean rather fondly she added, "Of course the fact that we liked each other already didn't hurt."

"Well, ah, great for him," Dean said, "But, ah, how did he wind up co-leader of the pack, anyway?

 **Timber Falls, Minnesota**

 **1988**

 _"Alright," The then Alpha, a man named Elias Sawyer said, pointing to the map on the sturdy wooden table, "This is where the three rouges are hiding out."_

 _Surrounding Elias completely focused on him were four other werewolves: His Beta and closest friend, Keith, the pack's two best hunters, Roger and Brandon, and Alana, Elias 19-uear-old daughter, the pack's future Alpha._

 _"Keith and Roger will approach from the side to make sure they're in there," Elias continued, "When they let us know they're in there, I'll lead point, and we'll catch them by surprise. Alana and Keith will take one, Roger and Brandon will take one, but their leader is mine."_

 _For Elias this was personal. The leader was a lone wolf who had appeared out of nowhere a few months ago and attempted to usurp him as Alpha. When that went horribly wrong he had recruited two members from the pack, and started killing humans._

 _"What about the hunter?" Alana spoke up. A few days ago, their cleaners, members of the pack whose job it was to live among the humans and cover up any werewolf encounters, had reported an encounter with a M.B.I agent who they believed was more than what he seemed._

 _"The cleaners will make it look like the killings really were animal attacks," Elias explained, "If all goes to plan, he'll move on none the wiser. Now, any more questions?"_

 _The room was silent._

 _"Alright, then," Elias said, "Let's move out."_

 _He transformed and the others fallowed, and they ran out of the shed, Elias leading point._

 _They quickly made it to the large hallow where they believed the rouges to be hiding out and Keith and Roger crept through the heavy brush to make sure they were there._

 _After a few minutes Elias started to get worried so he reached out to his Beta and close friend,_ "Keith?" _He asked, "What's wrong?"_

"They're not here, Elias," _Keith's voice said back,_ "But Roger thinks he found a trail."

"Stay there," _Elias commanded,_ "We'll be with you shortly." _He turned to the rest of the pack and telepathically communicated to them:_ "Okay, change in plans. The rouges aren't in the hollow, but Roger found a trail. We'll follow it, and recalculate our plan according to what we find."

 _The Alpha then proceeded to lead the group towards the hallow. When he caught site of Keith and Roger, he joined the hunter and the pair lead the pack as they fallowed the trail. As the trail lead them through a road that lead to town, they all began to feel uneasy. Were the rouges planning on another attack?_

 _Their worst fears were confirmed when the trial lead them to a roadside motel, and one door was open and they could hear the sound of screams and crashing coming from the inside, and smell blood._

 _Elias ran in and found to his horror a human man in his mid-thirties laying on the ground covered in blood, his heart ripped out._

 _Nearby was a splash of blood, but it wasn't human. It was from one of three rouges. That and the decor of weapons and papers lead the pack to believe this was the hunter they had been warned about. If they had to guess it looked like the rouges had decided to get to the hunter before he got to them, caught him off guard, he managed to get a shot off and wounded one of his attackers, but he was still outnumbered, so in the end he lost the fight._

 _Before they could fully contemplate this, they head more screaming from the bathroom and the voice of a terrified-sounding boy begging, "Please wake up, Dean, please wake up..."_

 _The ground rushed into the bathroom and saw the three rouges surrounding two teenage boys one about seventeen who was on the ground unconscious, bleeding from his chest area, the other about thirteen shaking him and begging him to wake up._

 _Roger was the first to react, leaping on the injured werewolf. The other two jumped on Roger. The rest of the group attacked the other two, managing to pull them off but by the time they had both Roger and the injured wolf were dead._

 _Alana let out a howl of anger then leapt at one of the two rouges before anyone could stop her. The pair rolled around until the larger werewolf had the smaller younger one pinned, and was about to go for the killing blow, when her father came at him knocking him off her but getting scratched for his troubles. The pair cornered the Alpha but Keith jumped on one, and the two began struggling for the upper hand. Eventually Keith got it, ripping the rouge werewolf's heart out._

 _Meanwhile the remaining rouge turned his attention back to the two children in the corner. He was about to attack again when Elias jumped in, sending the rouge to the ground. The rouge wined, pleading for mercy. For whatever reason, Elias backed up, and then the other werewolf pounced, slashing Elias' throat and ripping his heart out._

 _Alana roared again running towards her father. With his final breaths he pointed towards the boys again, as the rouge wolf was going back for them, but Brandon and Keith got in their way. Alana went to join to them and through their combined effort they killed him. Then she turned back to her father, and found him reverted to human form his eyes lifeless._

 _As it all hit her at once she could feel tears welling up in her eyes, but wiped them away. She was the Alpha now, and the Alpha didn't do that._

 _Retracting her claws and teeth she turned her attention to the two boys. The younger one was hysterically crying and the other one was still unconscious. For a moment she thought he was either dead or dying but she saw the wounds healing at rapid rate._

 _That when it dawned on her the boy had been turned. It was also then she saw what she thought were scratches on the younger one. She slowly leaned forward to inspect the wound further, but he cowered into the corner shouting, "No, go away, go away!"_

 _"It's alright," Alana said, "I'm not gonna hurt you. I just saved you, didn't I?"_

 _The boy's struggling eased, however, since terrified children are not exactly rational, he didn't stop struggling all together. However, Alana managed to grab a hold of his wrist and look at injury. Sure enough, in the mayhem, someone had bit him. It might not had even been the rouges. It could have been one of them._

 _Whatever the case, both boys were werewolves now._

 _"My name's Alana," She said, gently, "What's yours?"_

 _The boy didn't respond, but just stared up at Alana, wide-eyed and clearly petrified._

 _"That's alright," Alana said, "We can talk about that later. Right now, let's just get you out of here." Instead of waiting for a response, she pulled the child to his feet. Perhaps he was in shock or maybe he was too afraid to move, but for whatever the reason, he offered no resistance. "Brandon," Alana said, "Carry the older one."_

 _"Alana..."Keith spoke up._

 _"They've both been bitten." Alana snapped, "And even if they hadn't we can't just leave them here."_

 _Solemnly Keith walked over and picked up the older boy._

 _Holding the child to her side and covering his face to ensure he couldn't see what was probably his father's body, Alana lead what remained of the group out of the room._

 _After contacting the cleaners the injured, exhausted, bloodied group made their ways through the woods back to the pack. Everything came to a standstill when they saw them._

 _"Things went wrong on the mission." Alana announced, trying to best to be stoic, or at the very least not break down in front of her people, "Our Alpha, my father, Elias Sawyer was killed, and one of our hunters Roger Hewitt."_

 _A horrified cry that Alana recognized as belonging to Roger's mother came from the crowd._

 _Alana swallowed, then continued, "In addition to that, these two boys were bit."_

 _Alana was quiet after that, not sure what to do next. Then Keith said the words she'd been dreading the whole journey back. "The old Alpha is dead. Long live the new Alpha."_

 _"Long live the Alpha!" The pack repeated._

 _After that, Alana was finally able to get her newfound charges into her trailer. She took a deep breath, composed herself, then said, " We should probably get you too cleaned up. My bathroom's this way."_

 _She lead the two boys into a small bath room and leaving them at the doorway. Then she opened up the cabinet on the wall and grabbed a handful of threadbare wash cloths. She wetted the towel and was about to whipped up the younger one, Sam, she learned his name was, face, when the older one, Dean spoke up, "I can do it." Then he took the rag from her and whipped off his brother's face. It was still red from crying, but it looked better._

 _"Why don't I go find you some clothes, then?" Alana offered. The ones they were currently wearing had been shredded beyond repair, especially the tops._

 _"Sure." Dean said in a hallow voice. Like Alana, he was barely keeping it together for the people who needed him._

 _Alana went over to her room and pulled opened a drawer, removing a white t-shirt. She held it out and realized it wouldn't be a big enough for either of them. In fact, nothing she owned would adequately cover either of them. Then she remembered that there were a few shirts in the top drawer that were her father, for when he crashed on her couch. She removed two, and in spite of herself, sniffed them. It smelled like him. She felt the tears coming again. She fought them back. She couldn't break down now. Not just because she was the pack's Alpha, but because the two boys in there had also lost their father, and they needed her. And would need her, for what was to come. She took a minute to compose herself then went back into the bathroom and helped them finished cleaning up._

 _Later on after she finally managed to get the boys to sleep, and then got back from conferring with the cleaners, Alana came home to a quiet house._

 _They were leaving tomorrow. Or at least they would begin to. The cleaners said it was the most logical move after what had happened. There was no way to completely cover it up. They would begin perpetrations tomorrow. They had to get everything together, map out where they were going, and top of that figure out what to do about Sam and Dean possibly going through their first change on the move, it was going to be a long day. She laid down on the couch, hopping maybe get a few hours sleep, then she saw it. It was an old photograph of her and her father. He looked to be in his mid-twenties and she looked to be about two. She didn't remember it being taken, so she had no clue who took it. Maybe it was Keith, maybe it was even her mother. Alana had just been six when she died. It had always just been her and her father. And now it was just her._

 _Before she could stop herself, the tears were streaming down her face. She covered her face, repeated over and over again, "Papa, Papa, Papa..."_

 _Suddenly she felt a pair of arms around her. She opened her eyes and realized it was Dean. "W-what," Alana began, still crying, "What are you doing up?"_

 _"I couldn't sleep," Dean answer, "Then I heard you out here, and...I couldn't leave you out here alone."_

 _"I'm sorry." Alana said, wiping her eyes._

 _"You have nothing to be sorry for." Dean replied, "You just lost your dad, and from what I gathered, got thrown a heap of responsibility ."_

 _"And you didn't?" Alana snapped back, "And on top of that both you and your brother are going to go through your first change in a few days! If anyone should be having a nervous breakdown right now, it should be you!"_

 _"Tell you what," Dean suggested, "Since you already started, let's let you get it all out, then I'll have my turn, okay?"_

 **Bear Woods Minnesota**

 **Two Months Later**

 _Alana watched from her trailer as group of children played in the center of the encampment, Sam among them. Under the circumstances he was adjusting well, and for that Alana was glad. She was a little worried about Dean, though._

 _Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around quickly and saw Keith._

 _"Oh," She said, "Hey, Keith."_

 _"I was wondering if I could talk to you." Keith began, "Somewhere else."_

 _"Sure." Alana said, suddenly uneasy about what this could be about. After a few minutes of walking she asked, "So, what is it you wanted to talk about?"_

 _"As you know, the Assignment Ceremony is in another month," Keith began._

 _"And you're concerned about Dean," Alana cut him off, "Because under normal circumstances he'd be assigned his station in the pack, but this isn't exactly a normal situation?"_

 _Like natural wolves, a werewolves station in the pack began obvious during their childhood. When they came of age a ceremony was held and they took up their post with other members of their station. However, almost-voting age Dean had only been a werewolf for a couple of months which meant there hadn't been much time to observe him._

 _"No big deal, we'll just hold him back a year." Alana reasoned, "It happens sometimes, when a station can't really be discerned yet. A lot of bite-ins don't even have an official ceremony"_

 _"That's not the problem," Keith replied, "The problem is that we both know what his station is."_

 _"What do you mean?" Alana asked, playing dumb._

 _"I think you know what I mean." Keith replied gravely._

 _Alana was silent for a minute. "Yeah," She admitted at last, "I know."_

 _Dean always tried to take charge of a situation, take the leadership position, and did not back down. These were all sure signs of an Alpha._

 _"Again, no biggie." Alana said, "There can be two Alphas in one pack, I was an Alpha and my father was an Alpha."_

 _"You were his heir." Keith reminded, "And there can be non-blood heirs if the Alpha has no children and/or no children who are Alphas. But Dean's only two years younger than you."_

 _"Well, what do you suggest I do?" Alana challenged, "I can't throw him out there on his own. It's cruel and irresponsible since he's still new to being a werewolf, and the fact that he'd never willing leave his brother only makes things worse."_

 _"There is another option." Keith said._

 _"Well, don't leave me in suspense." Alana replied._

 _"I've seen the way you look at him." Keith began, "And they way he looks at you. You clearly have feelings for each other, Hell, you might even love each other, so-"_

 _"You can't be serious." Alana protested, "You can't be seriously suggesting that marry Dean. We've barely know each other, you can't seriously think-" Her voice trailed off, "Let me think about it, then I'll get back to you."_

 _"Alright." Keith conceded, "But you better think fast."_

 _Alana spent the rest of the afternoon walking throughout the encampment, thinking. Eventually she came to the conclusion of what she had to do._

 _She walked back to the center of the encampment, where Dean was leaning against a tree, watching the sparing game that was still going on. "Hey," She said, getting his attention._

 _Dean turned his head at the sound of her voice. "Oh." He said, smiling a little, "Hey, Alana."_

 _"How's the sparing going?" She asked, not knowing how to start this conversation._

 _"Okay, I guess." Dean replied, "All these kids are pretty tough." He smirked after a minute, adding, "Sammy's kicking everyone's ass."_

 _As if to make a point, Sam slammed a larger boy to the ground, pinning him._

 _Alana smiled. At least things were going well form one of them. She pulled herself away from the scene, turning her fool attention to Dean. "Dean, can I talk with you along for a minute?"_

 _"Yeah." Dean said, walking away with her, "Sure."_

 **Bear Woods Minnesota**

 **Four Years Later**

 _"Sam!" Dean called out, chasing his brother into the trailer's small kitchen, "You're making this harder than it has to be."_

 _"I'm not the one chasing people around the house with scissors." Sam argued from his hiding spot behind the stained facchica table. He hopped that Dean wouldn't risk running with scissors in such a narrow area._

 _"Well, if you didn't look like a hobo I wouldn't have to do this." Dean countered, "Just because you're a werewolf doesn't mean you have to wear your hair saggy. Now, I just want to take a little off, so will you just sit down and me do that!"_

 _"What is going on here?" Alana asked walking into the room, dressed in the ceremonial fur robes for the Assignment Ceremony, which did a somewhat decent job of hiding slight bump on her stomach._

 _"Dean's trying to attack me." Sam said matter-of-factly._

 _Alana looked to her mate expectantly, silently requesting his side of the story._

 _"I'm not." Dean replied, "I'm just trying to cut his hair. Do you want him standing up in front of the whole pack like that?"_

 _"I'd rather him not have leaves in his hair." Alana said, looking at leaves tangled in his hair, "How did you get leaves in your hair anyway?"_

 _"Fell in a bush." Sam replied not wanting to give anything more in way of explanation._

 _Normally she would have pressed for more information, but they were on deadline so she said, "Look, we have to get their early, so Dean, just let your brother go for now, Sam, go into the bathroom, clean up, get the leaves out of your hair, and I left your nice clothes on our bed."_

 _"Thanks, Lana." Sam said taking the opportunity to run from his spot behind the table to the half-bath._

 _"Fell into a bush?" Dean asked, "You're really buying that?"_

 _"No, but we don't have time to question it." Alana replied, "I wasn't kidding about us having to get here early. So, what actually did happen?"_

 _"I don't know." Dean replied, "He came in and his hair was mess and one thing lead to another and then I started chasing him around the house with scissors. I didn't even see the leaves into you pointed them out."_

 _"I can't leave you two alone for a minute can I?" Alana sighed, rolling her eyes and smoking a little, "Can you believe it's actually here?"_

 _"Not really." Dean replied, "I mean, it's he was my snot-noised little brother five minutes ago, and now..."_

 _"He's all grown up?" Alana finished for him._

 _"Yeah." Dean replied._

 _"And just think, in seventeen to eighteen more years we get to do this all over again." Alana said in mock enthusiasm, one hand on the bump._

 _Dean grinned and walked over to his mate, putting both hands on her slightly swollen stomach. "And I am looking forward to every minute of it."_

 _Just then someone cleared their throat behind them. They turned around to see Sam dressed in a long sleeve white shirt and black slacks, his hair not only combed and leaf free but slicked back for the occasion. "So is everyone else ready?"_

 _"Yes." Alana said, "Let's go."_

 _When they got to the center of the encampment, the three broke off and went their separate ways, Sam joining the other inductees, Alana going off to do the final preparations for the ceremony, and Dean joining the crowd, near the other parents. There were several looks of recognition, the simpler, human-formed signs of respect and submission, given to an Alpha. When they didn't stop, he remembered, "At ease." Even after four years he still couldn't get use to that. In fact, on his worse days he was still a little uncomfortable with it._

 _The year's five inductees lined up in alabetical order by last name, putting Sam in the back. As they lined up he noticed that one of the other boys a few up from Sam appeared to be covering a black eye with cheap make-up. It was a boy Sam had been fighting with over a girl for the last couple of weeks. Suddenly, Dean got a pretty good idea of how Sam wound up with leaves in his hair._

 _Alana appeared standing in front of the line and the crowd, and the ceremony began with a speech. "We are gathered here as we do every year," Alana began, "To assign these five youth their official post within the pack. There are many working parts with in a pack, Alphas, Betas, the specialist, but without anyone of those parts the pack could potentally fall apart." Her eyes glanced to the inductees as she said, "Just know, whatever station you are assigned today, it is important to the life of the pack, and the safety of it and the humans we share the world with." She turned around and a pale-skinned girl with curly brown hair stepped up and kneeled before Alana. "Linda Boney," Alana began, "Today I assign you a specialist position, the station of Nanny."_

 _That was no surprise to anyone. Linda's Grandmother and two of her aunts were Nannies, and Scottie herself was especially good with children._

 _"Do you solemnly swear to watch over the children of this pack, as if they were your own?" Alana asked._

 _"I do, Alpha." Linda said, then she transformed and fell down in a submissive stance._

 _"At ease, and a arise." Alana finished, then Linda rose up slowly transforming back into her human form._

 _The next three were went smoothly and each teenager made similar oaths based their exact assignments, two hunters and an Cleaner. At last it came for Sam to bow before his sister-in-law and Alpha, and receive his assignment._

 _"Samuel Winchester," Alana said, "I assign you the station of Beta."_

 _This was also no surprise. Hurting someone he cared about with Sam anywhere in the general facility was a good way to get yourself killed._

 _"Do you swear to defend pack and enforce its laws, laying down your own life if necessary?" Alana asked._

 _Just because it was an obvious fit didn't mean Dean and Alana wouldn't have preferred something less potentially dangerous._

 _"I do, Alpha." Sam vowed._

 **The Border Of Bear Woods Minnesota**

 **Present Day**

"This had been a lovely chat." Alana said, "But we have some lives we need to try to save, so-"

"What does that mean?" Sam asked.

"There was a rouge that came through a couple of weeks ago." Werewolf Sam spoke up, "We dealt with it but it attracted of really persistent hunters. They manage to kidnap two pups, and we're trying to get them back before..."

Though his voice trailed off they got the point. "How can we help?" Human Dean offered.


	45. The Rescue

"Everybody know the new plan?" Alana asked, as they all stared down at the cabin below.

"Me and Sam distract the hunters from the front, try to talk him down while you three go in from the back and get the kids." Human Dean replied.

"Good." Alana said, "Now let's go."

The three Werewolves wolfed out and ran towards their destination while the hunters quickly but quietly crept towards the front door. Suddenly a young girl's screamed filled the night and the pair quickened their pace.

"Hey, I thought you were only going to scare them!" The younger of two hunters, a ruddy boy in his late teams exchanged as the elder hunter sliced the girl they had strung up on the chest with a sliver knife.

"Don't they look scared?" The other hunter replied.

Suddenly they were interrupted by the door being kicked down. Two men were standing there, their guns out and ready to fire. "Walker?!" Dean explained.

"You really that surprised?" Sam asked.

Dean thought a moment then said, "No," Shaking his head, "This does seem the sort of thing he'd do. But who's the kid?"

"Kurt," Gordon answered, "He's new. Look, I know what this might look like but since you two are clearly in the life, I think you'll understand when I explain. You know those "animal attacks" ?"

"Yeah, they were werewolf attacks." Sam replied, "Though we just spoke to the Alpha and according to her they took care of it."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but of course she would say that," Gordon rationalized, "And I found these two sneaking around in the woods, so I just wanted to see what they know."

"We were just looking for some privacy," A slightly older boy who was hanging beside the girl said, "I swear that was it. We didn't do anything."

Gordon scoffed then moved the knife towards the girl again.

"No," She begged, trying to get free, "Please don't-"

Dean pulled on the trigger, shooting Gordon in the wrist. The hunter hissed in pain, grabbing the inured part, and dropping the knife. Regaining some composure he was going for his gun when something pouched him from behind. It was Werewolf Sam. Werewolf Dean had his claws around Kurt's throat. Alana returned to human form, cutting the two teens down. "Are you alright?"

The girl nodded. The boys noticed a flicker of anger across Alana face when she saw the cuts on the girl, but she quickly regained her composure and said, "Let's get you two out here."

"What about those two?" Human Dean asked, gesturing to Kurt and Gordon.

Human Sam smiled a little, saying, "I have an idea."

So after tying Gordon and Kurt to their own roof beams and encouraging Kurt to find a new mentor, the rag-tag group fled. "Did you tell them where the pack is?" Alana asked.

"No," The girl said, "They had just started asking her questions when you showed up." She eyed the human Sam and Dean and asked, "What's with-"

"It's a long story." Human Dean cut her off.

"What's important now is that you're both safe." Alana assured them.

A few minutes later they came to the clearing where the pack resided. There was group of its members wait for their Alphas and the Beta to return.

"Scottie!" A woman come called out from the crowd.

"Mom!" The girl, Scottie apparently, ran towards her, "Dad!"

Her parents caught he in an embrace and she started sobbing.

"Where are they?!" A woman's voice demanded, running through the crowd, "Let me see!"

"Mom!" The boy shouted, running towards the crown, "Mom, I'm here!"

As that was going on, before anyone knew what was happened a fourteen year old girl with blonde hair and green eyes flew from the crowd, holding the hand if a little boy of about six with the same hair and eye color and started both of them clinging to Dean then Alana. "Hey, babies." Alana said, "Where's Elias?"

The girl looked around and realized it was only "Elias!" She called out, and when no one answered, "Elias Winchester! You get out here right now!"

In response a tawny-haired boy with blue eyes who was about the same age as the girl slumped up to the group. Dean reached out and messed with the boy's hair, then did the same to the younger boy.

Werewolf Sam hand gone off to the side, where a woman with wavy hair was making her way through the crow. She threw her arms around him and gave him a kiss.

While all the reunions were going on, human Sam and Dean made their leave. Hiding behind a tree they got the spell ready, then Dean read the spell. " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The thick wind started blowing through the trees catching the pack's attention, but before anyone could come to investigate the brothers were engulfed by a bright light.


	46. Into The Woods

**AN: Again, thanks to toonanimals 317 for this request.**

Once again they found themselves in a deep dark forest. They didn't see any signs of their parallel universe selves, so they started to quickly throw the material for the spell together. They had just poured in the lamb's blood when they heard a young female voice called out, "Dean?!"

Not recognizing the voice they carefully peaked through the trees and saw a girl who looked to be about thirteen dressed in a leather jacket, scarf and brown beanie hat that covered all of her hair. She was carrying some kind of cooler in one hand and a flashlight in the other and had a book under one arm. "Dean, I got you dinner." She called out.

There was silence for a few seconds the rustling came from the trees and out of those trees appeared the universe's Dean Winchester. "Hey, kid," He said, walking over to the girl, "What have you got for me?"

"O Positive." The girl said, pulling something out from the cooler, "You like that, right?"

"I love it." Dean said with a slight fined enthusiasm. He took something from and the boys saw to their shock it was a blood bag.

And then they watched in horror as Dean opened the bag and drunk from it.


	47. Creature Of The Night

As Dean drunk from the bag the girl casually sat the bag down and walked over to a tree, setting down beneath it. She took out the book and began flipping through it. "Have you ever heard of 'The Yellow Wallpaper'?" She asked, seeming unphased by the feeding vampire before her.

"No, but I'm sure you'll tell me all about it." Dean replied, finishing the bag.

Apparently whatever was going on here had been going on for some time, they seemed so comfortable and casual.

"It's about a woman with post-partum depression who goes crazy because her husband makes her stare at funky wallpaper." The girl summarized.

"Sounds like a barrel of laughs." Dean replied sarcastically.

"Yeah, well, I figure sense you're more stable now you'd like it." The girl responded, "So what do you think?"

Suddenly vampire Dean froze. "Hey, Hope, was all the blood you brought human?"

"That's the only kind of blood they have at the blood bank." The girl, Hope apparently, joked, "Why?"

"Because I could've swore I just smelled- some kind of animal blood," Dean replied, "Like a sheep or something."

He turned toward the smell and the two hunters dropped back, accidently causing the faintest of noise, but the vampire heard it anyway. "Hey, Hope." Dean said, "Could you shine your flashlight over there?"

The girl stood up, somewhat worried, and shined the light in the direction she gestured, the light falling on Sam, who wasn't as well hidden as his brother.

Suddenly vampire Dean's face contorted into anger. "You bastard." He seethed, marching towards Sam, "You finally, track me down, hun?! You come here to finish the job?!"

Hope quickly spurn into action. "Dean, don't," She said, running up to them, "Thank about what you're doing."

"I am." Dean replied.

"He's not worth it," Hope continued, grabbing onto Dean's arm, trying to pull him back, "This is the one thing you never wanted to do, don't do turn into a monster for him, don't-"

"Get off of me!" Dean shouted, slapping her way, causing her to fall to the ground. As she rubbed her cheek it hit Dean what he had done and he fell down to the ground next to her, repeating almost hysterically, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry..."

"It's alright," Hope replied, "I'm not hurt and you didn't mean to." He eyes moved to see behind vampire Dean just in time to see human Dean attempt to pull his brother to safety. "Dean look." She said, pointing behind him.

He turned around just in time to see this parallel self and the parallel Sam, who froze when they realized they were caught, staring wide eyed.

"The Hell?" Vampire Dean exclaimed.

"Ah, Dean," Sam whispered, "He seems rather pissed at this universe's version of me, so, ah, maybe you could take it this time?"

"Sure." Dean said, "We're Sam and Dean form a parallel universe, we were hunting a witch, she did a spell which sent us to another universe, and ever since we've been trying to get back, but we keep landing in the wrong universe."

"And the lamb's blood?" Vampire Dean asked.

"Part of the spell." Dean explained.

"Oh." Vampire Dean said, "Okay, I guess that makes sense."

"It does?" Hope asked from beside him.

"It's not as if this universe makes any sense." Dean defended their story, "You're a vampire and you're hanging out with some random tween you've got getting your blood, and for some reason you wanna kill Sam?! Seriously, what is with that?!"

 **Battle Creek, Michigan**

 **2010**

 _When Dean woke up the first thing he was aware of was the pearly white ceiling. As his vision cleared he realized he wasn't in the hotel anymore. Wherever this was, it was much more opulent, but at the same time tasteful. He tried to move, but found his wrist bond tightly to the chair's arms. He pulled against them, but it did him no good. He couldn't get free._

 _Just then he heard a voice from outside the room say, "I think he's awake." Than another voice said, "Good. Let's get this over with."_

 _Just then Boris, Robert, and one of the girls came into the room._

 _"Gotta say guys," Dean snarked, "The decor's not really my style. Especially the ropes."_

 _"You'll get use to it." Robert said, "Do me a favor guys, and hold his mouth open."_

 _The girl and Boris walked over to Dean and pried his mouth open. His struggling intensified, and he managed to lose the ropes, but not before the third vampire took a bag of blood and poured it in his mouth. Suddenly, the rope around his left wrist broke, but it was too late._

 _There was no curing him now._

 _"We need to get him somewhere safe until he's more under control." Robert said._

 _But just then Dean got free from the other restraint. "That ain't happening." He said, before punching the other vampire in the face. Then he did the same to Boris and fled the room before the girl had time to react._

 _Dean rushed down the narrow hallway which lead to a flight of stairs. He ran down them into some sort of entryway, where he was greeted by a vampire dressed in denim. "Where do you think you're going?"_

 _Dean responded by kicking the vampire in the groin, which to his surprised actually worked. He then ran towards the door which he realized was opened. He rushed through it and realized there was a reason for that. The new place was in the middle of nowhere. He saw a forest to his left and, not knowing what else to do, ran towards it, hopping to at least lose the nest._

 _Dean spent the next week wondering through the woods, lost and hungry and scared. His first thoughts had been to kill himself, or more practically find someone to kill him, but then he realized that required being around other people, but he wasn't sure he could do that right now without possible killing someone. He had no idea what he was going to do. Eventually he sat down against a tree and tried to think._

 _A few hours later Dean heard it. It was still a little ways from him, but his new vampire sense could hear it clear as day. A young female voice was shouting," No! Get away from me! Let me, go!"_

 _"Come on, Hope, this doesn't have to be difficult." A male voice that sounded like a mixture of honey and oil attempted to sooth, "You know you want it."_

 _Dean stood up on instinct, ready to run towards the scene and give that prevent a rather violent piece of his mind._

 _But before he could the girl screamed, "No, I don't!" And it sounded like she kicked the guy and might be getting away. Soon he saw a small figure come into view then from his spot behind the tree he could see the girl, dressed in a leather jacket, run through his part of the forest. He also saw a large man catch up with her. He was surprisingly normal-looking except for the manic look on his face. He leapt into the air, tackling the girl and pinning her, too the ground. "This could've been so easy." He hissed, "Now, I will hurt you, beautifully, you are gonna feel every caress of pain. I will take you away to pain you could never dream-"_

 _At that point Dean pounced on him, pulling him off of the girl. "Run!" He shouted at her. She got up and sprinted away. Then he turned his attention back to the attempted rapist. "You think you're a monster?!" He screamed, "I'll show you a monster!" Then bared his fangs and dug them into the man's neck. He could feel the blood pumping as it cursed through his body, could feel the man's life draining as more and more blood left him, could hear his screams of fear and pain echo through the night, smell the adrline rushing as he tried to figure out what was going on. Dean was glad. He deserved it after what he was going to do to that girl. Who knew how many other girls hadn't been so lucky. That thought made Dean so angry that he dug his fangs in deeper, just because he could. When he was finally satisfied that the man was dead or at least close to it, Dean dropped him to the ground, wiping his mouth. Then he started looking for fire for the pyre to burn the body. The last thing he wanted was this d-bag's ghost running around._

 _But he was so caught up in it he didn't notice the girl had been hiding behind a tree almost the whole time._

 _Dean considered leaving after that, but decided against it for the time being. Stated for the moment, he spent the next two days figuring out ways to past the time, mainly a lot of thinking. He thought about what he would do, now that he killed someone. He knew that it was in defense of a third party and the guy deserved it but still, it worried him. How long would it be until he hurt an innocent person? Maybe he should go fine Sam and the others have them kill him. Normally he would be worried that this might wreck his little brother, but...he wasn't exactly himself at the moment, unless things had changed while Dean was gone. Also, he wondered about the girl. He hoped she was alright, that she got home safe, that she had a safe home to go to. He also hopped people decided not the look for the good Samaritan that saved her, if she told anyone._

 _At some point he gave into the urge to sleep, hopping that might clear his mind. Instead he was greeted by the memory of him being turned in dream form. It came in flashes of things much too intense and crystal clear. First him and Sam in the alley, right after Dean was turned, Dean with blood in his mouth. Sam fighting with Boris. Boris smearing blood over Dean's lips. Sam watching the attack. Boris roughing Dean up against the dumpster. Finally...Sam's mouth ticking upward into a smirk as he watched Dean get turned._

 _Dean jolted awake in shock as it hit him. His brother threw him under the bus. And now thanks to him, he was a monster._

 _A few days later the girl came back to the spot of the attack carrying an orange cooler. She was a little nervous, not sure if she was putting herself in danger, or maybe even that she was going crazy. Vampires weren't real. There was no way she could have saw what she thought she saw, was there? Whatever the case, she knew for a fact she owed him her life. This was the least she could do to thank him. She sat down the cooler down and called out, "Hello?!" No response. She tried again. "Hello, are you here?!" After a minute of silence, she tried a different approach. "Look, I saw what you did to Josh," She said, "I've never actually been into all that vampire crap, and I maybe I'm going crazy, but I wanted to thank you for what you did, and I thought you might be hungry."She flipped the cooler lid open, revealing three bags of blood, and then walked away._

 _When she was out of sight, Dean walked out from the tree he had been hiding behind and gingerly approached the cooler. He picked up one of the bags, which was cool to the touch. He could smell the blood through the plastic, and it made him hungry again. Before he knew it his fangs were ripping open the bag and he was guzzling the stuff down. Then he polished off the second bag and decided the cooler was cold enough to save the third for later._

 _The next night Dean finished the third bag and was resting under a tree the tree when heard footsteps. He scampered behind the tree but couldn't get sufficiently hidden before the newcomer spotted him. It was the girl. She stared at him and he stared back, both in silence until the girl finally said, "I just came back for the cooler. My parents are going to notice eventually of it's gone."_

 _"I got it right here." Dean said, reaching back behind the tree, pulling out the cooler and handed it off to her, "Thanks for the blood."_

 _"Don't mention it." The girl replied, "Thanks for saving me."_

 _"No, problem." Dean replied, "Just don't go off with creeps like that again, okay?"_

 _"I didn't want to go off with this one." The girl replied, "He just attacked me on the way home."_

 _"Well- just be more careful from now on." Dean advised._

 _"I will." She said, pulling open one side of her coat, reveal a steak knife tapped to the inside._

 _"Yeah, that works." Dean commented staring down at the knife, "Though there are some better places to put that. I can show you where if you want."_

 _"Sure," The girl nervously._

 _Sensing her apprehension Dean smirked, "Don't worry, I won't bite. In fact, the creep was the first guy I ever killed, though I haven't been a vamp that long."_

 _"I have mixed feelings about that statement." The girl replied._

 _"You, know, I think some introductions are in order before we do anything else." The hunter-turned-vampire said, "I'm Dean."_

 _"Hope." The girl replied, "My name's Hope."_

 _"Nice to meet you, Hope." Dean replied._

 _After that, Dean gave Hope basic tutorial on using a knife, and knife safety. While he was showing her proper technique, she asked, "How do you know all this?"_

 _"I spent most of my life training." Dean explained, "In fact, ah, I used to hunt monsters, until about, I think a week ago, I'm not sure anymore. It's kind of hard to keep track out here."_

 _Hope felt a twinge of pity. It must be hard for him, she figured, being a monster killer turned into one._

 _As she got ready to leave she turned around, and said, "I can get you more blood for you, if you need it. My cousin works at a blood bank and honestly, sneaking in and getting wasn't that hard. I don't think they even know it's gone."_

 _Dean hesitated for a moment, but then he realized, this could be that solution to most of his problems. If he had someone getting him donated blood, even if it hadn't been donated to him, he wouldn't hurt anyone. "Sure." He said at last, "That'd be great."_

 _Hope came back a few days later with the cooler. "Dean?!" She called out, "Dean, I got you dinner, or breakfast, or whatever."_

 _Dean stepped out from behind a tree. "So soon?"_

 _"I don't know exactly how often you need to eat." Hope replied, "I'm new to all this, remember?"_

 _"I probably could've gone a day or two," Dean replied, "But, since you went to all the trouble, I can eat."_

 _As he took the cooler Hope removed a satchel from her waist. "I brought some other things for you, too."_

 _Dean opened the bag and found some soap, and shampoo, some clean clothes, a blanket, and some two thick books._

 _"I figured even if you're a monster you shouldn't have to live like a complete animal." Hope explained._

 _Dean felt his heart swell a little. "Thanks." He said, then looked at the books, " Janet Evanovich's One For The Money,_ _and an analogy of Hemingway's short stories."_

 _"I wasn't sure what you'd like so I just skimmed picked a couple out." Hope explained_.

 _"Well I'll try anything once." Dean said, laying everything out of the blanket then handing it back to Hope._

 _As Hope started to walk off Dean called, "Hey, Hope?!"_

 _Hope turned around. "Yeah?"_

 _"Do you think maybe you stay a little bit?" Dean asked, "Maybe tell me some about these books?"_

 _"Sure." Hope said, sitting down, "Hey, here's an idea. Why don't I read one of the Hemingway stories to you?"_

 _"Sure." Dean said, handing her the analogy and opening the cooler._

 _"Hills Like White Elephants." Hope began, "The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. On this side there was no shade and no trees..."_

 **Happy Valley Forrest**

 **Present Day**

"So she'd been helping me ever since." Dean finished, "Getting me blood, making sure I don't go crazy and attack people-sorry about that, by the way."

"It's okay," Sam said, "No harm done. This universe's me probably had it coming. Listen, we have that spell ready so could we-"

"Oh, sure." Dean said, "Go ahead."

Sam picked up the book and began to read, " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind picked up once again, actually causing a few of the weaker limbs to break off, as the boys were once again engulfed in a bright white light.


	48. Seriously?

**Special thanks to Tie-Dyed Broadway for this request. Hope you like it.**

When they came to, they were back at the bunker. They heard the scrapping of a chair against the floor. They turned to see a notably tall woman with long brown hair done back in a pony tail, and brown eyes. While her features were arranged in a feminine fashion, they were actually similar to Sam's. Maybe he had a daughter again? Albeit a much older one?

"Dean!" The woman called out, pulling something from her jacket pocket, "Cas! Get out here!"

There were the sound of feet running down the hall, and Castiel appeared in the entry way, accompanied by a woman dressed in men's clothes, with her tawny hair cut in neat Bob. Her features were similar to Dean's.

"Oh," Sam said, catching on first.

"Sam," Dean whispered, "Where am I?"

"Ah, I think that is you." Sam replied, pointing at the alarmed looking woman, "And that's me." He pointed to the first woman who now had a gun on them.

Dean looked between the two women. "Seriously?"


	49. The Winchester Sisters

"Who are you?" Dean, or whatever her name was demanded, pulling her gun as well.

"Okay," Sam said quickly, "This may sound hard to believe, but, we're you from another universe, where we are apparently different genders. We were hunting a witch, she did a spell that sent us to another universe, and we've been trying to get back ever since, but we keep getting it wrong and ending up in situations like this."

The female Dean looked to her sister who shrugged, then female Dean looked to Cas. "Why are you looking at me?" The apparently only male of their group asked.

"You're our resident cosmos expert." Female Dean replied, "Is what they're saying possible or not?"

"It is." Cas answered, "There are infinite parallel universes and in some of them I suppose you two could be men."

"Try most of them." Male Dean spoke up, "Try all of them but this one."

"This is freakin' weird, men." Female Dean commented.

"You're telling me." Male Dean replied.

 **Stewart, New Jersey**

 **2009**

 _Samantha Winchester watched from the bar as her older sister, Deana, "Dean" Winchester, dance between two men, taking a swing of her beer. Some things would never change._

 _At least she was dressed in girls clothes. Okay, tight jeans and black crop top, but still, it was improvement._

 _While neither of them had even been what you would call feminine, Dean had always been the bigger tomboy of the two. She dressed in men's clothes that even at their smallest barely fit her body, cut her hair short, and of course, insisted on being called, "Dean." Sam didn't find anything particularly wrong with it, but she often worried her sister went overboard. And then there was her habit of running around with men..._

 _Dean ran back over to where Sam was sitting and slammed the bar, shouting, "Shots! I need shots for me and my new friends over here!"_

 _The bar tender brought over a line of small, liquor-filled glasses with an annoyed look on his face. "Ah, Dean," Sam said, watching her sister down two of the drinks, "Maybe you should cool it down a bit."_

 _"What are you talking about?" Dean asked, taking a another shot, "I haven't had that much to drink."_

 _"Okay, one, you and I apparently have different opinions on what 'that much' means," Sam began, "Secondly, what about thing one and thing two over there?" She pointed over to the two boys Dean had been dancing with, who were trying to keep the groove going until she got back._

 _"Ah, their names are Randy and Earl," Dean replied, "And hey, they're okay."_

 _Sam decided to try a new tactic. "What about your boyfriend?" She asked, "What would he think about Randy and Earl?"_

 _"What are you talking about?" Dean asked, genuinely confused, "What boyfriend?"_

 _"You know," Sam teased, "About yea high, dark hair, blue eyes, trench coat."_

 _"Cas?!" Dean balked, blinking several times, "You seriously think me and Cas are thing? I haven't even seen the guy in two weeks."_

 _"Doesn't change the fact that he likes you."Sam replied, " And I mean like-like. We're the verge of the Apocalypse and yet whenever you're in the same room, whatever is going on, you are the center of his attention."_

 _"That's because it's his freaking job." Dean countered._

 _"You mean, the one he's apparently doing so well the other angels are upset with him?" Sam asked._

 _Suddenly Dean got an idea. "You know what?" Dean said, trying to change the subject, "I think you need to loosen up a little." Then she grabbed her sister by both wrist and pulled her out onto the dance floor. "Hey, guys," Dean called out to the boys, "Meet my sister, Samantha."_

 _"Nice to meet you," One of them said rather cordially, "I'm Earl, and this is Randy."_

 _"Please to meet you." Sam sighed, starting to dance._

 **Lebanon Kansas**

 **Present Day**

"Well, at least this one doesn't come with a long story about how exactly things turned out the way they are." Dean said, "So that means we get right down to making the spell if you don't mind."

"Oh, sure." The female Sam, lowering her gun.

"Seriously?" The female Dean responded, "We're just gonna let them go?"

"Do you see any reason to keep them?" Sam questioned.

"No." Dean admitted, lowering her gun, "Come one, Cas, let's go. There's something I need to talk to you about anyway."

They were getting the spell together when Dean said, "Damn it! We're out of wolvesbane."

"Maybe they have some," Sam suggested, then called out to his female counterpart, "Hey, Sam?"

The woman looked up from her reading. "Yeah?"

"We're out of wolvesbane, do you think we could have some of yours?" Sam asked.

"Sure," The female Sam said, getting up, "Follow me."

Samantha lead her male counterpart through the halls and to a storage area where they had been keeping their extra spell supplies. "They should be somewhere around here." She said, then started looking through drawers with a dismayed look on her face. "She didn't," Sam mumbled to herself "Dean!" She called out, somewhat mad.

There was the sound of multiple feet running towards them and both the male and female Dean Winchester appeared.

"I mean my Dean." Female said, "Did you move the wlovesbane?"

"No." The female Dean replied.

"You sure?" Sam asked, "Because it's where it's suppose to be."

"Well, maybe I did." Dean admitted, "I was looking for something a couple of weeks ago and things got moved around. Sorry."

"Then help us find it." Sam replied, "Otherwise our new friends could be here for a while."

They spent the next several minutes looking through the various drawers when they heard another set of footsteps. "What's going on?" Cas asked behind them.

"These guys needed some wlovesbane, but Dean messed with the drawers so we're looking for it," Sam explained, "You wanna help?"

"Of course," Castiel said, walking over to the drawers and joining the search. After a minute or so he whispered to the female Dean, "Are you sure you should be handling things like this in your condition?"

"It'll be fine." Dean reassured him as they the other turned to look at the pair. "What condition?" Male Dean asked.

"Nothing." Female Dean replied, returning to her work.

"No, that's not nothing." Female Sam spoke up, "And come to think of it, you've been acting weird the last couple of days. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Dean repeated.

"Deana," Sam said, letting her known she meant business, "Please, just tell me."

"Fine," Dean said begrudgingly, "I was going to tell you this after they left, but here goes...we're pregnant."

Suddenly the room went deathly silent with the shock. "What?" Female Sam balked.

"Well, technically I'm pregnant, but Cas was there, too." Dean elaborated.

"Seriously?" Male Dean whispered to his brother, "Again?"

"The pregnancy thing is new, though," Male Sam whispered back.

"I'm going to be a mom." Female Dean said, not noticing the side conversation.

"And I'm going to be a father."Cas added.

"And I'm gonna be an aunt," Sam squealed hugging Dean, "Congratulations, both of you."

"Careful," Dean urged, "Don't wanna squeeze the baby too tight."

"If it survived that Rugraru last week this little guy can survive anything." Then as a new thought occurred to her as she pulled away, "Oh my God, did you know you were pregnant when we went on that hunt?"

"Of course not," Dean replied, "I've only know for a few hours, and I've only suspected for few days. What kind of idiot do you think I am?"

It was just then female Sam remembered the presence of their male counter parts. "Oh look," She said, "Male us are still here. We should probably find them that wolvesbane."

"Actually," Sam said, pulling out a large bag of the stuff, "I just found it."

After they had been given a generous portion, Sam and Dean set to work finishing the spell. When it was done Dean read the spell, " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind blew so hard it knocked a couple of books off the shelves. They shot the growing little family an apologetic look as they were engulfed in the light.


	50. What Is Lost And What Is Found

**AN: Special Thanks to Guest for this request. Also special thanks to Wiznerd The Eagle for all the help since I knowledge of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is limited.**

When the light cleared they found themselves once again in a forest. Within a few seconds they heard an somewhat angry voice shout, "I told you not to look for me!"

They turned towards the voice as another replied, "When did you tell me that?!"

Now they could make out Dean, Sam and Castiel standing in a clearing, close enough that the other two could see, but the trees kept them hidden. Even if they weren't, the three were too engrossed with the argument Dean and Cas were having to notice anything else going on around them.

What caught Sam and Dean's attention the most, though, was the trio's attire. Dean was dressed in an armor-like suit in various shades of gray, decorated with stars on the chest. Cas was dressed in sleek silver and black armor with a red star on the shoulder that was facing them. Sam was decked out in a red and white body suit with full wings.

"When I pulled you out of that damn river!" Cas shouted.

"It's kinda hard to do what somebody asks when you're unconscious when they ask it!" Dean pointed out. "Look, I know you don't remember, but you were my best friend once, and I'm not-"

"But I do remember," Castiel interrupted. "I do remember now. Out here-I've been remembering who I am, what they stole from me. I remember you, I remember -things-I never told you..."

As Cas' voice trailed off, Sam spoke up. "This is getting kind of personal, I'm just go over here, and see about the... trees."

As the winged Sam walked over to where they were, they scrambled to prepare the spell, but before they could, the other Sam caught him. He was about to call out to the others but non-winged Sam, thinking fast, grabbed him and covered his mouth.

"Look, we can explain," he said quickly. "We're you and Dean but from another universe. We were going after this witch, she did a spell that dropped us in another universe and we've been trying to get back to ours ever since, but we keep missing the mark. Now, I'm gonna remove my hand but only if you promise not to get the others, because it would just make our lives a lot easier, okay?"

Winged Sam nodded and Sam removed his hand.

"Is it okay if I still stay here while they talk it out?" Winged Sam asked.

"Sure," Sam replied. "What's going on there anyway with the apparent amnesia and the... weird outfits?"

"That's all sorta... complicated," winged Sam answered.

"Yeah, it usually Is," Dean said dryly.


	51. Dean Winchester: The First Avenger

**AN: Not sure if I'll get a chance to update this weekend, because I have some things I have to get ready for, so I'm putting it up today.**

"Well, there's a lot of things I wasn't actually there for," Winged Sam started. "This began before I was even an idea."

 **New York 1942**

 _"I really wish you would rethink this," Castiel, "Cas" Barnes pleaded of his friend, Dean Winchester. "I mean, I know you want to help the war effort, but this? Turning yourself into a lab rat for some skeevy science experiment?"_

 _"It's not skeevy," Dean tried to reassure him for what felt like the hundredth time in the past day. "I mean, it's being run by the military. It's all official. Why would they have been at that thing if they weren't?"_

 _Dean had been approached for Project Rebirth while at an exhibition of future technologies with Cas. Dean had tried enlisting, but had been rejected due to having just about every health problem known to man. He had been venting his frustration about to Cas when the latter caught the former trying to enlist again and confronted him about it. That was when Dr. Devearux overheard them and recruited Dean for the program.  
Cas, however, was still unsure about the whole thing, and been trying to talk him out of it for the past day._

 _And yet, here he was, seeing Dean off before joining his own unit. While he might not agree with what Dean was doing, he wasn't surprised he was doing it. Dean had always been brave, always willing to go out of his way just to do the right thing. It was what drawn him to the smaller boy when they were children. It was what he loved about him now, though he'd never tell a soul. If anyone found out he risked a beating, or even being arrested. Pushing away those thoughts, he tossed his arms around his friend's neck and whispered in his ear, "Just be careful, okay?"_

 _"Only if you are too," Dean answered._

 _"I will," Cas replied. "I promise."_

 _And with that, the two parted ways._

 **Strategic Scientific Reserve Outpost, USA, 1942  
**  
 _"You ready, kid?" Dr. Frank Devearux asked from his spot at the control, ready to begin the procedure._

 _"Yeah," Dean, who was already in the contraption, answered. "Let's get this started."_

 _Dr. Devearux fiddled with some buttons on the panel, and suddenly the tubes connected to the device holding Dean filled with blue liquid. To Dean's surprise, it didn't hurt that much, at least until thing started sparking from on all the machines at once. Then it was a little scary._

 _Just as soon as the chaos started, it all stopped and the device opened. Dean stepped out, a little wobbly on his feet at first, noticing that everything seemed a little...lower down than it was before. Actually, a lot lower._

 _"How do you feel?" Agent Talbot asked, walking over to Dean._

 _"Taller." Was all the astonished Dean could say._

 **ANGEL** **Base,** **1942**

 _Dean noticed the scientist running through the facility and he was about to follow when he noticed the person he gone to all this trouble for strapped to a table. Cas._

 _Dean had wound up stuck in the propaganda department after the procedure, despite all that he could do. However, he had found out that almost everyone in Cas' unit was MIA, Cas included. Cas was presumed dead, but Dean, somehow, just knew that couldn't be the case. He convinced Chuck Shurley, the billionaire scientist who was also on the project, and Agent Bella Talbot to help him sneak onto the ANGEL base where they thought Cas and the others were being held._

 _"Dean?" Cas asked, looking up at him._

 _"Yeah, buddy, it's me." Dean said, working at the straps. "We're gonna get you outa here, okay?"_

 _"Dean," Cas moaned._

 _"What?" Dean asked, thinking Cas could be hurt. "What is it?"_

 _"You got big." Cas said._

 _Dean couldn't help but laugh a little in sheer relief.  
_  
 **Allied Camp, 1942**  
 _"So you go on AWOL on an unauthorized rescue mission and they give you your own unit." Cas summarized. "You realize that's no how it usually works, right?"_

 _"I know," Dean acknowledged, "But what can I say? When you rescue a whole unit thought dead without one fatality, people are impressed enough to let things like that slide._

 _"But you're keeping the outfit, right?" Cas asked with a wink._

 _"You know I have grown partial to it." Dean admitted._

 **Germany, 1942  
**  
 _Dean and Cas jumped, successfully making it onto the train car. Dean got in first and Cas shut the car door behind. The pair then searched the car, Dean in the lead Cas following close behind, guns ready, looking for Dr. Morgenstern. Unexpectedly, the door shut, separating them._

 _Alarmed, Dean turned around and saw someone dressed in a high-tech suit of armor who started shooting blue beams at him. Dean shout at him then ducked out of the way._

 _In the other half of the car, Cas had his own attacker. The attacker fired, then Cas shot back, ducking behind a cargo box as more beams impacted around him. He leaped from hiding firing, then pulled back. Somehow, he managed to get to the other side. He shot again and realized he was out of ammo. All he do was try to duck for cover. Then he saw Dean through the door glass. Suddenly the door opened again, and Dean threw his gun to Cas. Then he charged, pushing one of the cargo containers at Cas' attacker sending him flying._

 _"I had him on the ropes," Cas said weakly._

 _"I know you did," Dean replied. They heard the sound of a ray gun behind them, and Dean turned to see he still had to deal with the other one._

 _"Get down!" Dean shouted, pushing Cas out of the way and covering them both with his shield. The blast blew the hold through the train.  
Thinking fast, Cas grabbed Dean's shield and started shouting at the man in the high-tech armor. The man fired back, sending Cas flying out. Dean finally shot the armored man down, and rushed to his friend's aid._

 _"Cas!" He shouted when he sat the solider hanging onto a small piece of metal for dear life. Dean got out of the car and tried to walk his way to him. "Hang on," he told Cas. When got close enough Dean reached out him saying, "Grab my hand."_

 _Cas did but it was no use. The bar he was holding broke and he fell though the air down into gorge, and Dean could do was helplessly watch._

 **The Arctic Ocean,** **1942**

 _"There's no way to land this thing," Dean said, briefly looking back at the whole in the floor of the plan he was flying, "Not without killing a bunch of people."_

 _"Just give us some time," Agent Talbot pleaded into the com. "We'll find a way."_

 _"I don't think just gonna happen," Dean replied. "Bela, Chuck, thanks for everything." Then before anyone could argue, he aimed his ship towards the ice._

 **New** **York, New York, 2011**

" _The game," Dean told the nurse, realizing something was wrong, "It's from 1941. I was there."_

 _The nurse scrambled for an answer, but before she could up with one Dean pushed past her and forced the door open._

 _"Hey!" The nurse shouted as Dean bounded down the stairs. "Come back!" However, Dean paid her no heed, rushing down more stairs before bursting through another door and down the street, only to stop in shock at the sight that met his eyes. He was surrounded by more cars than he had even seen in his life, but they weren't like any cars he had seen before. They were covered in lacquered domes in a variety of colors. But that was nothing compared to the dozens of huge signs, some of which changed from moment to moment, and all the blinking lights that surrounded him. He was broke out of his shocked stake by voice shouting out him, "Idjit, get over here before you get hit!"_

 _He turned around to see a man with a reddish brown beard and an eye patch looking directly at him._

 _"Yes, I'm talking to you," The man said, then his tone softened a bit and he continued, "Come on, son, I know this is a bit of a shock but I can explain everything."_

 _"A bit?" Dean balked, taking a few steps towards the man, than stopping. "Who the hell are you? Where the hell am I?"_

 _"I'm Bobby Singer, director of SHIELD," the man began, "and you're in New York: just not the one you knew. You're been asleep for 70 years."  
_


	52. Dean Winchester: The Winter Soilder

**AN: Sorry for this being so late everybody. I'm visiting my grandparents so my lab top doesn't have internet access. I had planned on using a flash drive to update from their computer, which does have the internet, but for some reason the site up accept the upload. I haven't given up trying to find a way to update though, so if you're reading this I found a way that works.**

 **To Loser By Choice, the reason Little Tree sent them to another universe was to buy her some time to get out of town. As for how they're going to get back you're just gonna have to keep reading.**

 **Bear Falls National Park, Present Day  
**  
"Why don't you tell us the part you were there for?" Dean suggested.

"Okay." Winged Sam relented, "It all started about a year ago..."

 **Washington, D.C., 2013**

 _As Dean walked into his apartment, he tensed, realizing he wasn't alone. Ready to fight, he turned around and saw a wounded Director Singer slumped over in a chair._

 _"What the hell happened to you?" Dean exclaimed._

 _"I got shot," Singer replied, managing to get up. "Listen, we got a problem. SHIELD's been compromised._

 _"What does that mean?" Dean asked._

 _"I was just attacked by a assassin that was supposed to be a myth, that's what that means."Singer said, pulling a flash drive from his pocket, and handing it to Dean. "This is the information I had Milton get from that ship. Protect it with your life, because this could very well hold the answers to everything, and for God's sake-" Before Singer could finish he was hit by a hail of bullets breaking through the wall Dean ducked down, but caught a glimpse of the assailant. Was it just him or did he have a metal arm?_

 _Dean quickly got to a com and radioed for help. "This is Agent Dean Winchester. I need back up at my apartment, we got man down! I repeat, we have a man down!"_

 _When they finally got Singer to a hospital, which seemed like forever, Dean watched the surgery along with Anna Milton, A.K.A Black Widow and Agent Jody Mills, Director's Singer's right hand woman._

 _During the surgery he broke away from the group and pulled out the flash drive Singer have given him. He needed somewhere to hide it. But where?_

 _He was interrupted from his thoughts by the sound off the flat line._

 _"I need to take him," Jody said as he sat outside with Dean._

 _It was then Dean saw the vending machine being refilled. As the STRIKE team headed out, he managed to place the flash drive behind two packs of gum so he could come back for it later._

 _The next day, Dean walked into the Triskelion building, having been summoned by the senior official Zachariah Pierce._

 _"I guess we move on fast around here." Dean said, walking into the man's office._

 _"I know it seems a bit heartless, Agent Winchester but we need to move fast to catch the people who did this," Zachariah replied. Then, gesturing to his desk, he added, "Please, sit down."_

 _Dean did, shifting uncomfortably._

 _"It 's my understanding that, before his death, Director Singer gave you a flash drive with the information you and Agent Milton got from the ship Georges Batroc took over."_

 _"How do you know about that?" Dean said, his suspicions rising even more than they already were. "I didn't even know about that, not until after."_

 _"It involves an operation of mine," was all Zachariah offered in way of explanation. "Now, due to recent events I feel I should look it over, so I'll need you to give it to me."_

 _Keeping his cool, Dean said, "I would love to, but it's at my apartment, so if you could just let me get it-"_

 _"But of course," Zachariah replied as Dean got up. "And you won't mind if I have one of my men accompany you."_

 _Dean looked outside and realized that, superhuman or not, he was vastly outnumbered. "Sure," he said, playing it cool._

 _When they got to his apartment, Dean turned to his guard and requested casually, "Mind if I do this on my own?" The guard gave a firm no.  
"Okay then." Dean said trying to think of a new plan. He was not going to give up the location of the drive, not when he couldn't trust anyone. He had to get back to it. Then it hit him. He could take out one guy. "Just give me a second to-" Dean began before turning around and slugging his guard, rendering the man unconscious. Then he jumped out the window._

 _When got back to the hospital he realized someone had beat him there. Anna was just standing there, looking at the flash drive in her hands._

 _He slammed her against the wall, demanding in a hushed, but angry tone, "What the Hell do you think you're doing?"_

 _"I saw you put this in here yesterday," Anna explained tensely. "And by the way, stupid way to hide something this important. Your whole plan hinged on no one wanting gum."_

 _"Is there a point to this?" Dean asked._

 _"Just pointing it out," Anna said. "Look, I'm pretty sure we're the only two people we can trust, so just tell me what you know, then I tell you what I know."_

 _"Other than the fact that Zachariah really wants this, I still only know what I told you last night," Dean replied. "Singer showed up at my place, told me SHIELD's been compromised somehow, then a guy with a metal arm killed before he could explain anything else._

 _"Metal arm?" Anna asked._

 _"Yeah. Does that mean something to you?"_

 _"There's a legend about an assassin," Anna began. "If you believe in him he's responsible for half the major catastrophes in the world. Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists; those who do call him the Winter Solider. While I was escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran, somebody blew out our tires and attacked us. He killed the engineer and nearly me, and he had a metal arm. If that's who we'll dealing with, then this could be even worse than we thought. We need to know what's on that flash drive and we need to know now."_

 _"Any ideas how we do that without them finding us?" Dean asked._

 _Dressed in civilian clothes with their hoods up, they took the flash drive to a computer at the mall to look at its contents._

 _"And they won't be able to find us here?" Dean asked._

 _"No, they still will," Anna replied. "The drive has a level six homing device programmed, so as soon as we boot it up SHIELD will know exactly well we are, but we should have enough time to find what we need."_

 _"How much time do we have?" Dean asked._

 _"Ah, about nine minutes from," Anna began, putting the device in, "Now."_

 _The next nine minutes were some the most agonizing of their lives. As soon as they were able they started looking through the information._

 _Suddenly, Anna said, "I think I know where we need to go."_

 **Secret SHIELD Bunker, New Jersey, 2013**

 _The coordinates were to same base were Dean was trained. "Why would Singer want us to come here?" Dean asked._

 _"No sure yet," Anna answered, "But something important here, I know it."_

 _They walked through the based, looking for any sign of something suspicious. "There's Gabriel Shurley's father," Anna commented, gazing at line of pictures on the wall._

 _"Chuck." Dean said, "We were friends."_

 _As they walked, Dean felt a small rush of air. "There," He said suddenly pointing to a line of large shelves. "There's some sort of passageway."_

 _He leaned down and grabbed a hold of the shelf, pulling it back to reveal a long metal hallway. When they came to the end of hallway they found a door with a lock that had to be opened by a passcode._

 _"I got this," Anna said, pulling out her phone. She activated an app that scanned it with a blue light and revealed the four most-pressed numbers in order of use, based on how used they looked. She entered the code and the door opened, revealing a room filled with old analog equipment and a giant boxy gray computer in the center of it._

 _They walked up the row of equipment to the computer. When they got to it, Anna leaned in, putting both her hands on the panel. A smirk crossed her lips as she said, "Shall we play a game?" Then she remembered who she was with and turned around saying, "It's from a movie that was real popu-"_

 _"I know," Dean cut her off. "I've seen it."_

 _"Oh," Anna said, then a small piece of metal on the panel caught her eye. "Hello there. Dean, can you hand me the flash drive?"_

 _Dean did, and she put into the port. The computer began to light up and a green picture of a man's face appeared on the screen._

 _"What the hell?" Dean exclaimed, recognizing the image on the screen as someone who died a long time ago._

 _"I'm surprised to see you too, Captain Winchester," the face said._

 _"You know this guy?" Anna asked, trying to figure out what exactly was happening._

 _"Dr. Alastair Morgenstern," Dean explained. "He was a big scientist with ANGEL back in the day. We had him prisoner when I went in the ice, but...he should be dead. At least of old age."_

 _"I had arrangements made for my brain to be uploaded into this long before my capture, Captain Winchester," Morgenstern explained in his awful nasal voice._

 _"But what is the disembodied brain of an ANGEL scientist doing in a SHIELD base?" Anna asked, voicing the obvious question._

 _Morgenstern chuckled evilly. "You really don't know, don' t you girly? We are both of us out of time."_

 _"What does that mean?" Dean asked._

 _"For the last 70 years we've been slowly infiltrating SHIELD." He gave it a moment for that to sink into the stunned Dean and Anna, then continued. "You, see, during the war we realized we might have gone about things-the wrong way." Suddenly documents and pictures flashed across the screen, providing proof of what he was saying. "What we did not realize was that if you try to take people's freedom away, they resist. So we started anew, placing assets within SHIELD. The hew ANGEL grew a beautiful parasite inside SHIELD until we fully took over. "_

 _"That's impossible," Anna interrupted, unwilling to believe what she was hearing. "SHIELD would've stopped you."_

 _"Accidents will happen." Morgenstern replied, cryptically, but showing news reports of Howard's car accident and files from Singer's death._

 _"Ah, I don't think anyone's gonna think what went down in my apartment was an accident," Dean pointed out._

 _"It hardly matters now," Morgenstern said._

 _"And why lead us down here?" Dean asked._

 _"I believe you are familiar with Project Insight," Morgenstern replied._

 _Dean was. It was suppose to be part of the information on the flash drive._

 _"Project Insight requires insight," Morgenstern continued, "so I wrote an algorithm."_

 _"What kind of algorithm?" Anna demanded._

 _Morgenstern was about to continue when a fiery blast tore through the building, destroying everything and sending Dean and Anna flying._

 **Washington D.C., 2013**

 _"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Anna asked as Dean rang the doorbell. "You've only met the man twice."_

 _"He's ex-para-rescue. He's got training and he's the only person left who's not dead or evil," Dean argued._

 _The door opened, revealing a tall man with long brown hair._

 _"Hey, Sam," Dean said. "This is Anna Milton. Anna, this is Sam Wilson. We need your help."_

 _They told Sam everything that had been happened. "Okay," he said once they were finished, pulling something out of a drawer. "I actually do think I have something that can help. A device I used during my USAF days."_

 _"Stealth-shooters?" Anna guessed._

 _"No, these," Sam said, handing them more files. "Top secret army wings."_

 _After acquiring Sam's wings, the trio apprehended Uriel Sitwell, a man they had deduced was a ANGEL mole._

 _"Morgenstern's algorithm can identify individuals who could become future threats to our plans!" Sitwell shouted after being pressed by Anna, "The Insight Helicarriers-ahh!" Before he could, finish something from out of nowhere yanked him from the car, throwing him into traffic and he get hit by a semi-truck with a sickening squish._

 _Anna looked up and saw the metal armed man on the roof of their car preparing his next attack. Flinging herself across the seat, she grabbed the steering wheel, throwing him off. The assassin gracefully regained his footing landing on one foot and one knee, his hand skidding against the pavement._

 _The trio was force to jump from the car, Sam sliding on the road and Dean and Anna using part of the cat door as a slide as a reinforcement crashed into them._

 _Meanwhile, one of the reinforcements handed the Winter Solider a grenade launcher. He aimed at Dean and Anna who ducked out of the way. He fired again, but Dean raised his shield, protecting him but sending him flying, causing him to crash into a bus._

 _Anna jumped over the wall between lanes of traffic, tumbling in the street and barely missing the car. As she got to her feet a grenade exploded, barely missing her as she ran underneath the 4-lane bridge._

 _Meanwhile, Dean was waking up in the bus he had crashed into. He was somewhat disoriented as he rose._

 _He didn't have much time to recover, though, as four ANGEL agents leapt down from the bridge, guns aiming at the bus bottom. They fired into the bus._

 _Dean ran through the bus without being hit somehow. He leapt out of the bus, using his shield to block the gunfire as he walked towards his attackers, using the deflected bullets to take them down._

 _He managed to get past and ran through the streets, looking for the others in the chaos. He could hear Anna calling for everybody to run, then an explosion. It was then he saw a figure with a metal arm standing in the middle of the road, ready for battle. The Soldier turned around. Somewhere in the chaos he must had lost his mask, and to Dean's utter shock, he realized he recognized him._

 _"Cas?" he gasped confusedly._

 _"Who the hell is Cas?" The Winter Solider responded, equally confused._

 _Before things could go any further, Sam swopped in on his wings, kicking the Winter Soldier/Cas. Suddenly there was another explosion, and the Winter Solider/ Cas disappeared in the smoke._

 _At almost the same time, two black vans appeared as of nowhere. Numerous men jump out of them, guns aimed at Dean._

 _"Down on the ground, hands in the air!" their leader shouted._

 _Seeing no way out, Dean lowered his shield and complied. One of them aimed their gun at Dean's head, but their leader ordered harshly, "Not here."_

 _The trio were loaded in the van, and everyone drove off._

 _After some amount of time Sam tried to convince them that he needed medical attention. "You need to get a doctor here," he was insisting, when suddenly one of the uniformed agents, who, like the others had their face covered with helmet, stabbed one of the other two with a shock weapon. They pulled off their helmet, revealing a very familiar woman: Jody Mills. "Aw, that's so much better," she said, wiping some sweat off her forehead._

 _Anna, Sam, and Dean just stared at her._

 _"Yeah, I know I waited awhile, but I needed the right moment to get us all out here in one piece," Jody snapped, "Now, do what I say, and we'll all get through this." Then, noticing Sam, she added, "Who's this guy?"_

 **Director Singer's Secret Safe House, Washington D.C., 2013**

 _Dean got out of the van almost the second Jody parked it. "So, this place used to be one of Singer's safe houses?"_

 _"Still is, technically." Jody replied._

 _"And what's here that can help with ANGEL?" Dean asked. Jody had been secretive the whole ride over and it was starting to get annoying._

 _"It's better if I just show you," Jody said, leading them to the entrance._

 _They went down several hallways until they came to what appeared to be an infirmary of some sorts. In the infirmary lay a man with a beard and an eye patch._

 _It was Director Singer. He was alive, if not well._

 _And so, everyone sat down and Director Singer explained how and why he had faked his death._

 _"I was there," Anna protested. "They cut you open. Your heart stopped."_

 _"Tecro Detoxion D," Singer explained, "Made my heart stop temporarily, and Mills brought me back when we got here."_

 _There a was a moment of silence, then Dean said, "So, what now?"_

 _"Now," Singer said, "We stop Insight before it gets a chance to start."_

 **Unknown Location, 2013**

 _The Winter Solider was sitting low in a chair, a threatening black circular device looming over his head as two doctors worked on his metal arm. As they used a torch on the arm, images flashed before his eyes._

 _A man, a scientist of some kind calling him Sergeant Barnes. The target, clinging to a train, screaming that name, Cas, as he fell down through the air. But, no, wait, that wasn't him. He wasn't Cas. Nothing like that happened to him. He was just a weapon. A sentient one, but a weapon nonetheless. He sreved ANGEL, he didn't serve anyone one else, and he most certainly didn't serve that man. Why would he be with him? He remembered falling into the gorge and seeing men. The men dragging him away. He remembered someone talking about a procedure, and he remembered pain. He remembered the man, the scientist calling him 'the new fist of ANGEL' and ordering him to be put on ice. He remembered being scared and angry._

 _Suddenly he lashed out, punching one of the doctors working on his arm, sending him flying across the room. Everyone responded by aiming their guns at them, ready to shoot._

 _They stayed like that for several minutes, until Zachariah entered, followed by his men. "Mission report," the man demanded._

 _The Winter Solider just sat there, staring at him._

 _"Mission report, now." Zachariah commanded, a little sterner._

 _Again, no response._

 _This time, Zachariah stepped forward and bent down so he was just a little over the assassin. Zachariah waited a moment, then slapped him. After the Winter Solider got his bearings back, he said, "There was a man on the bridge. Who was he?"_

 _"You met him earlier this week on another assignment." Zachariah answered, realizing a different approach was needed._

 _"I knew him," the Winder Solider said._

 _Zachariah sat down in front of the confused man. "Your work has been a gift to mankind," he began. "You shaped the century, and I need you to do it one more time. Society is at a tipping point between order and chaos, and tomorrow morning we're gonna give it a push." He paused for a minute then continued, "But if you don't do your part I can't do mine, and ANGEL can't give the world the freedom it deserves."_

 _"But I knew him," The Winter Solider insisted._

 _Zachariah sighed, thought a moment, then stood up again, starting to leave. "Prep him," he ordered, walking away._

 _"He's been out of cyro-freeze too long," one of the doctors said._

 _"Then wipe him and start over," Zachariah responded._

 _The Winter Soldier's nerves flared up at this. He knew he had made a mistake. He knew they were going to hurt him again._

 _The doctors walked over to the Winter Solider and pushed him back into the chair. His chest heaved as he obediently let them put the bite guard into his mouth. As the clamps forced down on his arms, his breathing got heavier as he braced himself for the pain he knew was coming._

 **Director Singer's Secret Bunker, Washington D.C., 2013** __

 _"These controller's chips will take down the helicarriers," Singer was explaining as he showed the team the information chips. "I just need to get them to them. That's where you come in, Dean. We need you to get on them and switch out the chips."_

 _"And what will you be doing during all of this?" Dean asked._

 _"Making sure they can't sweep this under the rug," Singer said cryptically._

 _After the meeting, Dean needed some air. He couldn't help but think about Cas. He was alive. He was alive and Dean didn't have a freaking clue. And now he was trying to kill him. But that wasn't Cas, though, he'd been brainwashed or something._

 _He stopped in front a bridge and Sam caught up with him._

 _"Hey," the younger man said._

 _"Hey." Dean replied._

 _"How are you holding up?" Sam asked, "With everything?"_

 _"As well as can be expected," Dean replied._

 _"And what are you hiding from us?"Sam he asked, surprisingly casually._

 _"Huh?" Dean asked, turning to look at him._

 _"Come on, something been eating at you since the attack," Sam replied. "Anyone can see it as plain as day."_

 _Deciding there was no use denying he told Sam everything. About the Winter Solider and Cas. That the Winter Solider was Cas. When he finished, he said, "After we take out Insight, I'm gonna get Cas away from them somehow. I'm gonna save him."_

 _"You said it yourself," Sam warned. "He's probably been brainwashed, he doesn't know you."_

 _"He will," Dean replied._

 **Triskelion, Washington, D.C.**

 _Dean ran across the compound, once again using his shield to deflect the bullets. There were two minutes left until the Helicarrers launched, and he had to get to them._

 _Meanwhile, Zachariah was welcoming a delegation of SHIELD members. It was going well until an older woman elbowed one of his guards in the gut then pistol whipped another out of nowhere. Then she hit Zachariah and trained her gun on him. Her face became pixilated, revealing herself to be Anna Milton. "Agent Zachariah Pierce," she began, "I need your help. And you're going to give it to me."_

 _Meanwhile, Sam was dodging Helicarrier fire, trying to cause a distraction._

 _On the ground, Dean was still fighting the soldiers. He hit one, knocking him to the ground, and then the other. He hit another with his shield and flung another over a crate._

 _While he had to deal with some more men, he was able to make it to the control panel in time, and found it conveniently unguarded. He punched in the code to reveal the chip._

 _At that point the Winter Solider saw what was happening and got into his plane. He was going to kill the target this time._

 _Meanwhile, Anna was trying to force Zachariah to unlock SHIELD's database so she could leak classified flies and expose ANGEL to the public._

 _"Disabling the encryption is an executive order it takes two Alpha level members," Zachariah informed her._

 _"Don't worry," Anna replied, unphased. "Company's coming."_

 _Just then there was the sound of a helicopter running just outside. Out stepped Bobby Singer, alive and well._

 _"This won't work," Zachariah said, smugly, once Singer reached the screen. "I had your security clearance wiped."_

 _"I had a secondary security clearance." Singer responded, flipping up his eye patch. "Hi, Bobby Singer, paranoid bastard." With that, he walked up to the screen and let it scan his damaged eye._

 _Meanwhile, the battle was still brewing outside. Cas shot a grappling hook at Sam which latched onto his wing and pulled him down. Then he kicked Sam off the side of the airship. Sam pulled his parachute, breaking his fall._

 _Thinking he had killed Sam, Cas went off in pursuit of Dean. He found him about to put the last chip in. Cas pushed Dean out of the way, and a scuffle ensued. As they fell from the ledge, Dean kicked Cas causing both him and the chip to skid across the helicarrier. Cas just got up and charged at Dean again. Dean then got him in a choke hold and rendered him unconscious, and climbed back to the panel to finish the job._

 _By the time Dean had finished replacing the chips, Cas had woken up. Dean ran, but Cas shot at him, hitting him in the shoulder. Dean fell over. He managed to make it to safety, but he could see the ships were getting ready to fire, so they had to make sure they fired on each other. Now. "Fire when ready," he said into his com, alerting Jody._

 _"Not until you get out of there," Jody replied. "I can send them back."_

 _"There's no time," Dean argued. "Fire now."_

 _This time Jody complied, and the Insight helicarriers blasted each other out of the sky, crashing into downtown Washington. The final helicarrier even somehow had a sense of poetic justice, crashing directly into the Triskelion._

 _In the confusion, Anna and Singer had time to escape in the Helicopter. Also at that time Sam threw the soldier he had been fight with out of the window. Sam landed on the helicopter door and Anna quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him in._

 _Meanwhile, Dean and Cas were still on the exploding helicarrier. Dean turned around, frantically looking for Cas. He finally spotted him, struggling to get free from under a metal support that had collapsed._

 _Dean ran over to him and lifted the support off him. "Come on," he said, offering Cas a hand. "Let's get out of here."_

 _For a moment Dean thought Cas was going to take the offered hand, but instead he pulled the man down, and started clobbering him. It was then Dean realized Cas hadn't been trying to save his own life, but he was trying to free himself because Dean was still alive, ergo his mission wasn't complete. He couldn't understand that the entire war was basically over and he was no longer bound to ANGEL. Dean would have to make him understand._

 _"Cas, you don't have to fight anymore," Dean got out in-between blows. "You're free. Cas! Cas!"_

 _"Stop! Calling! Me! Cas!" He screamed, punching Dean with every word._

 _"You have to remember!" Dean pleaded._

 _"I can't be him!" Cas screamed, punching Dean. "If I'm him they'll hurt me again!"_

 _Dean's heart sunk, but his resolve strengthened. "No they won't," He said firmly. "They won't because I am not letting anyone touch you again. You are Castiel Barnes. You are the most important person in the world to me. I'm gonna get you out of here, and no one is ever going to hurt you again! 'Cause I'm with you to the end of the line."_

 _Cas froze, his fist in mid-air, a look of recognition in his eyes. Dean felt a thrill of hope but just then the ship collided with the Triskelion, and Dean was thrown into Potomac River. Not thinking, Cas jumped into the river and swam, looking for Dean. Finally spotting him, Cas swam over to Dean and grabbed the man's unconscious body. He swam to shore and pulled Dean onto the firm ground._

 _"I can't stay here," Cas began aloud, even though he knew Dean couldn't hear. "I have to figure out who I am, who you are to me, though I think you're important to me. Don't look for me. I'll come to you when I'm ready. Until then." He knelt down and kissed Dean's forehead, then stood up and walked into the woods._

 **Bear Falls National Park, Present Day**

"Singer went to Eastern to Europe to find the remaining cells, and Anna smoothed things over with congress," Falcon Sam finished, "and I went with Dean to look for Cas."

"Now that you've found him, what are you gonna do?" Sam asked. "I mean, from the sound of it, the guy's brain has been fried. He's not going to be able to adjust very well."

"I don't know," Falcon Sam admitted. "I just we'll just have to figure it out from-"

"Son of btich!" Dean shouted, "Seriously? Again?!"

They turned to Dean and saw he was looking at his superhero counterpart and his Cas. The two were sitting on a rock, very close together, and their heads were moving away from each other, as if maybe they had just be kissing.

"Well, that explains some things," Falcon Sam commented.

"Can we just get out here, please?" Dean asked.

"Sure," Sam said, "I get the stuff, you get the book?"

Sam finished the ingredients and Dean read, "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

Once they had disappeared into the bright light, the Sam of that universe decided to check on the other two men. He stepped out of the trees, making sure his presence was known. "We all good in here?"

"Yeah," Dean said, "we're good." Helping Cas to his feet, he added, "Let's get you out of here."


	53. Injuries And Surprises

**AN: I'm back home, so I should be able to start updating as usual. To make up for what I'm dubbing, The Month Of Endless Computer Trouble, today I will be posting one chapter for every week I missed, plus one for today.**

 **Special thanks to .Cullen Fan for this request.**

When the light cleared this time they were in an open field, the moonlight shining down on them. They couldn't see anyone, put they could hear the sound of a fight going on somewhere.

Suddenly this universe's version of them came into view. They were engaged in a rather lively fight with about four vampires. It was hard to tell who was wining.

That universe's Dean had just lopped off a head of the vampires when he caught sight of the look-alikes.

In that moment, one of the other vampire's pulled out a knife, stabbing him in the side. The Sam of that universe rushed to his brother as he put a hand over the wound to stop the bleeding. In that moment, another vampire exposed his fangs and lunged at them.

Thinking fast, the other Sam grabbed one of the discarded machetes and sliced the vamp's head off before it could reach their parallel universe counter parts. He then did the same with the other. He was about to take on the other one when he smacked the machete out his hand, pinning his arm behind his back. Dean grabbed the machete and took down the final vampire.

"What the-?" The universe's Sam gapped, staring at the other two.

"Look, we can explain everything later," Dean began, "But right now your Dean is slowly bleeding out over there, so need to get him some medical attention."

That universe's Sam nodded, seeing the he was right. "Come with me," He ordered, "I know where we need to go."

They help that universe's Sam load his Dean into the car, keeping pressure on the wound. While he drove, Sam called someone on his cell phone. "It's Sam," He was saying, "Dean got stabbed on a hunt, we're coming to you right now." There was pause, then, "His side." After a another he said, "Yeah, I got...a couple of people putting pressure on it." After a few more seconds he said, "A hour and half. And bro...the people I got with me...well, I don't know how to explain it, you'll see when we get there."

An hour and a half later, Sam parked in a back alley of some sort of shop. The two Sams carried the inured Dean from the car while the healthy Dean continued to apply pressure to the wound. The Sam through the universe started knocking on a nondescript gray door shouting, "Adam! Adam, it's us, open up!"

Recognizing the name Sam and Dean exchanged looks. _Adam?_

Just then the door open revealing a sinewy young man with light brown hair, and light blue eyes. His eyes first went to his injured half-brother and then to the extra people. "What the Hell?"


	54. The Hunter Doctor

**AN: Just a head's up, the mythology for the monster here might be a little inaccurate. Multiple sources said multiple things, so I just cobbled it together for what worked best for the plot.**

"Why are there two of you?" Adam exclaimed, eyes moving around the alley for some sort of answer.

"Didn't have to time to ask yet," Sam admitted, "Can we just get Dean inside then ask about it?"

They carried Dean inside to what was a very clean looking back room with organized shelves of medicine and medical supplies. In the center of the room was an operating table.

"Put him over there," Adam ordered, pointing at the table. As the Sam did so Adam asked his patient, "Are you still with us Dean?"

"Yeah," Injured Dean mumbled, "Yeah I think so."

"Good." Adam relied, "Now, I need anapestic, anesthetic, and a needle and surgical thread. Now."

The Sam of the universe grabbed two bottles from one side of the room, while Adam grabbed the needle and thread from the other side. When it was all set down he said, "Can you two back up a bit?"

They obliged, and Adam began to work. While his younger brother was operation on his older brother, the Sam of that universe turned to the other pair of Winchesters and said, "I think it's time for those explanations now."

"We're you and Dean," Sam explained, "From another universe. We were hunting this witch, she did a spell, it sent us to a parallel universe and we've been trying to get back to our own ever sense."

"Alright," That universe's Sam replied, "Sounds like the kind of thing that would happen to us. So are you stuck here now or-"

"No," Sam answered quickly, "Thank God. We just need to do this spell, then we'll be out of your way."

"Can you hold up on that a few minutes?" Adam spoke up as he sewed up Dean's abdomen, "It's probably gonna mess up my sterile environment here."

"Sure," Dean spoke up.

After few seconds of sewing in silence, Adam asked, not looking up from the job, "So, parallel universe? What does that mean exactly?"

"Basically," Sam began, "They're the same as ours in some ways and different in others."

"Sometimes the time line's messed up," Dean spoke up, "Sometimes we've been different species, other times there was some major earth-changing event that changed the course of human history. Sometimes we've had kids, other times we've just made different choices. Once our birth order was different and Sam was the older. Hell, in one of them, we were women."

That universe's Sam eyes widened at that one.

"And what about this one?" Adam asked finishing with the suture.

Sam and Dean exchanged nervous glances, because explaining how this universe was different would mean admitting they had, to put it mildly, drop the ball when it came to their Adam. They _really_ needed to make sure that Adam had in fact, been dead when he went in the hole one of these days. Finally Dean just said, "You don't have this sweet operating set-up."

 **Cicero, Indiana**

 **2010**

 _"You've been back practically this whole time?!" Dean exclaimed, "What, did you lose the ability to send a friggin' text message?"_

 _"You finally had what you wanted, Dean." Sam justified himself._

 _"I wanted my brother, alive!" Dean shouted._

 _"You wanted a family," Sam countered, "You have for a long time, maybe the whole time. I know you. You only gave it up because of the way we live. But you had something, and you were building something. Had I shown up, Dean, you would have just run off. I'm sorry. But it felt like after everything, you deserve a regular life."_

 _"What have you been doing?" Dean asked in spite of himself._

 _"Hunting." Sam answered simply._

 _"You left me alone, and you were flying solo?" Dean asked, still mad._

 _"Not solo." Sam replied._

 _"What?" Dean asked, understandably wanting more detail._

 _"I hooked up with someone else." Sam explained._

 _"You?" Sam questioned, "Working with strangers?"_

 _"He's more like family," Sam replied, "And he's here."_

 _Sam lead Dean into the ajointing room, where patiently waiting was a boy of about twenty-one with a striking family rebalance._

 _"Adam?" Dean balked finally._

 _"I guess that means you explains things to him." Adam spoke up._

 _"I was...working on it." Sam answered._

 _Dean stilled looked a stunned._

 _"Lot of resurrections in your face today." Adam conceded, "It's all right. Take a minute."_

 _"It's gonna take a little more than a minute." Dean said, "I mean, what the Hell? How did this happen?"_

 _"We don't know," Adam admitted, "I wake up in a field, and after fifteen minutes of walking or so, me and Sam walk into each other. So whatever this is, we're both a part of it."_

 _"But you don't know what that is." Dean checked._

 _"Bingo." Adam replied._

 _"And you have no leads?" Dean asked, "Nothing? Well, this-this, un...No more doornails coming out of that door, is there?"_

 _"As far as we know it's Adam and it's me." Sam answered._

 _"Okay, " Dean began, "Am I the only one here that-that-that thinks that this can't just all be fine?"_

 _"Believe me, you're not." Adam replied, "At first we came here to get you, but...when we saw you with them, we just couldn't. Not until this, when we kinda had to."_

 **Los Angeles California**

 **Three Months Later**

 _"Okay, just sit still." Adam told the female hunter, putting pressure on the chest wound, "I just need to staunch the bleeding in we'll get you to the hospital, okay?"_

 _The trio had been investigating a series of men trampled to death in back alleys who looked oddly blissful. After running into another hunter, Harriet Stone, they learned they were looking for a Deer Woman, a creature from Native American legend. Their top half was in the form of an extremely beautiful young woman, the lower body a white-tail deer. Enchanting men in an almost-mind control fashion, she would lead them away so that they were alone, engage in intercourse with them, then trample them to death once they were done. Considering all three Winchesters could be influenced by her charms, they saw the wisdom in working with the huntress. Taking on the three samples of bait they laid out for her, she lead Dean to a back alley where Hattie attacked. She killed the deer woman, but in the ensuing struggle Hattie was impaled on piece of broken of glass._

 _"It looks like it missed your heart, but we can't remove it, otherwise you'll bleed out," Adam continued, using tore-up shreds of his shirt to soap up blood. He pulled out a bottle of disinfectant and poured it over the wound. When Hattie gasped in pain Adam said, "You'll thank me later." Just then the Impala pulled up, so Adam instructed, "Dean, help me."_

 _Two hours later they were hiding outside the hospital, waiting to see if Hattie was alright. At she stepped through the hospital doors still dressed in her party clothes, a white patch of bandage over her chest. They stepped out from behind the bush and Adam called out, "Hey."_

 _She turned and saw them. "Hey."_

 _"Are you okay?" Adam asked._

 _"Yeah, thanks to you." Hattie answered._

 _Adam blushed a little. "It was nothing."_

 _A few hours later Hattie and the Winchesters parted ways, and the brothers headed off for a new destination._

 _"Hey, Adam, you okay back there?" Dean asked after a while, "You've been quiet ever since we left."_

 _"Yeah, it's just..." Adam's voice trailed off for a moment, then he said, "It's just been so long since I've been able to help someone like that, you know? After everything that happened I never thought I'd be able to use my medical skills again."_

 _"What are you talking about?" Dean questioned, "You use your skills all the time."_

 _"I patch you two and myself up every now and again," Adam countered, "But never anything life-saving."_

 _"In our line of work, we'll probably need your skills again sooner or later." Sam assured him_

 _As Sam said that, an idea formed in his mind._

 **Pig Tree Gulch, Indiana**

 **Five Months Later**

 _"Okay," Adam said, taking his brothers out of the back of the car, and Hattie from the front seat, "Here we are."_

 _"Can we open our eyes now?" Dean asked._

 _"Yeah, this stopped being merely eccentric a couple of hours ago." Sam added._

 _Adam smirked. "Just a little while longer." He said while walking backwards towards the door. He opened it and started to walk back in saying, "Come on, just fallow the sound of my voice." The three hunters stepped over the threshold. "Okay, now open them."_

 _The three opened their eyes and found themselves and brick room with the walls lined with medical equipment. In the center of it was an operating table-like structure._

 _There was a stunned silence for a few moments then Sam was the first to speak. "Adam, what is this?"_

 _"My new office." Adam answered, a sense of satisfaction in his voice._

 _"Your new office?" Dean asked, still confused._

 _"Ever since that day with Hattie," Adam Explained, "I've been wanted to find some way to use my skills more, then we were here on a case a couple of months ago and this place was for sale so...I bought it. Been getting ready bit by bit."_

 _"So that's where you've been sneaking off to." Dean murmured._

 _"And how are you going to lose your medical skills here?" Hattie asked._

 _"How many times have we or people like us get hurt on the job?" Adam asked._

 _"I don't know," Hattie admitted, "A lot?"_

 _"Exactly," Adam said, "And the injuries we get are usually the ones the cause the doctors to contact authorities. So, we need somewhere to go that's off the books. It's not like this is the only operation of its kind."_

 _"Okay," Sam said, "But you were only pre-med. You never actually got the higher aspects of medical training."_

 _"I volunteered at the hospital," Adam countered, "A lot. And I was paying attention. Plus, I've been working on boning up on the stuff I missed because of-well, everything."_

 _"And how are hunters actually gonna know you're here?" Hattie asked, "Outside of the three of us, I mean?"_

 _"I put hunter signs out on the front windows," Adam answered, "And of course there's always word of months."_

 _There was silence again for a minute. "Okay, I'll admit it," Dean said at last, "I can't find any flaws in this plan."_

 _"Me neither," Hattie admitted, "Good luck, Dr. Milligan."_

 **Pig Tree Gulch Indiana**

 **Present Day**

"Too bad for him," Adam said, stepping back, "Or me, or whatever. How you feeling Dean?"

"As good as I can." The Dean of the universe said, sitting up.

"Okay," Adam said, "Anyone else hurt?"

"They twisted his arm pretty bad," The Sam of the universe said, pointing at the other Sam.

"It's fine." Sam said, "Really."

"I'll be the judge of that," Adam said, walking over to him. After a quick examination, he said, "It's dislocated. Come over here and I'll take care of it."

"No, it's fine, really," Sam insisted, guilt bubbling up inside him.

"Come on, don't be a baby," Adam replied, pulling Sam to the table and setting him down. "Okay, I'm going to set this on three. One, two-" Sam screamed as his arm was set back in place.

"What happened to three?" Sam balked.

"Didn't want you tensing up too much." Adam offered for explanation.

"Can we get the spell ready now?" Dean requested, this all getting to be too much for him.

"Go ahead." Adam replied.

They got the spell ready as quick as they could than Sam read aloud, "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån..."


	55. Little Boy Lost?

**AN: Special thanks to NorthernShinigami for this request.**

 **I used some more artistic license when it comes to the Seal mentioned in this AU. While there is a Slaughter Of Innocents in the Bible it had nothing to do with the Apocalypse. Of course you'll be hard pressed to find "66 of 666" in Revelation to begin with, so I think I'm okay.**

In a break from the recent strain of nature, this time when their vision cleared they were in a motel room with an extra bed. On that extra bed was little boy of about seven staring at him. He seemed a startled, but not scared, or even surprised. Like he had seen weird things before.

"Hey, little man," Dean said, as they got to their feet, "You here all by yourself?"

Just then a Dean-like voice came from another room, saying, "Gabe-is everything-" By then Dean appeared in the doorway, and his voice trailed off when he saw the other two men.

"We can explain," Sam said quickly, "We're you and Sam from another universe. There was a witch, she did this spell and it sent us to a parallel universe. We've been trying to get back ever since, but we keep running off in the wrong universe."

Dean paused a moment and thought, then said, "Okay, sounds like something that would happen to us. So, how do you get out of here?"

"We just need to put a spell together then we'll be gone." Sam explained.

"Okay," Dean said, then turning his attention to the boy said, "Gabe, what do you say we go find something to do while these guys are working on that?"

"Can't we stay and watch, Dean?" The child, Gabe apparently, asked.

That universe's Dean looked at them. "Is this spell dangerous?"

"As long as you stay out of this area here," Sam said making a gesture with his hand around the blast zone, "You should be okay."

"Okay," The Dean on that universe replied, walking over to the little boy.

"Who's the kid anyway?" Dean asked.

Dean looked over at the kid. "That's a little hard to explain."

 **Cedars, Arkansas**

 **2008**

 _Dean peaked into the window of the abandoned church. There was the role of children ranging from the ages of two to thirteen lying down in a row, surrounded by two men and a woman. A third man was dragging an unconscious boy over to the line._

 _At least Dean thought the they were unconscious. The kids didn't appear to be restrained in any fashion, and they hadn't killed them yet._

 _They had came into town investigating the disappearances of eight children, some which were defiantly kidnappings, violent ones, some of which appeared demonic in nature. A mother who had survived the attack reported the attacker having black eyes. It turned the disappearances was part of a plot to break another Seal: The Slaughter Of The Innocents._

 _And of course, as per usual, the angels were nowhere to be found._

 _So with not much of plan, but little time to act, the brothers snuck through the back door of the church, hopping the element of surprise would make up for the fact that were outnumbered._

 _The woman was chanting, holding a cruel-looking curved dagger over the oldest child, a girl who couldn't be more than thirteen. Dean plunged his own knife into the man being her, killing him and startling her, causing her to drop the knife. Sam quickly dived to pick it up, actually succeeding. As Dean went for the woman, someone, maybe her, maybe one of two remaining men, got their bearings back and flung the pair against the wall. The woman coolly walked over to them, taking the knife back from Sam as she said, "I'll be taking that." Turning around and sauntering back to the children, she added, "Now, where were we?"_

 _The boys struggled to get free as the woman began the ritual again. Suddenly there was glowing light from the right hallway._

 _"Go see what that is," The woman ordered one of the man, then started the ritual a third time. Before she could finish another light appeared in the left hallway. Getting annoyed, she gestured to the last man to go see about it. After he left, the woman began to chant again, but then bright more powerful lights went off in either direction, and the sound of screaming could be heard._

 _The woman's eyes widened and she dropped the dagger. "Don't go nowhere." She ordered the Winchesters before running off._

 _The room was filled with a woman's scream as the boys fell to the ground._

 _"I'll go see what that was, you get the kids." Dean ordered._

 _Sam wanted to go with him, but knew there wasn't any time to argue. So he went to rouse the first girl. "Helen," Sam said, gently shaking her, "Helen, you gotta get up..."_

 _Dean ran down into the old church kitchen and found the body of the two demons, their eyes burnt out. "What the-?" Dean began, but then something clicked in him. "Hey!" He shouted, "Is there in angel in the house?!" There was no answer, but he saw something moving in the kitchen closet. He ran over to it and flung it open, only to see a little boy of about seven years of age cowering by the shelves._

 _"It's okay," Dean said, lowering his gun, "I'm not gonna hurt you. What's your name?"_

 _The boy paused a minute, then finally whimpered, "Gabe."_

 _"Well, Gabe," He began, "My name's Dean. Now what do you say we get you outa here?"_

 _Gabe reached out and cautiously took Dean's hand. Dean posissioned himself so that Gabe couldn't see the dead bodies on the floor. "Okay Gabe," Dean said, taking off his jacket, "I'm gonna put this over you and you're gonna look straight ahead, alright?"_

 _"Alright," Gabe replied._

 _Having figured that out, Dean and the boy fled from the room._

 _Dean lead Gabe to the sanctuary, where Sam was escorting the last child out of the building. "They had more kid's stashed somewhere?" Sam exclaimed upon seeing Dean with the little boy._

 _"No," Dean answered, "This one got away and hid."_

 _"And the demons?" Sam replied._

 _"Dead." Dean replied, then covering Gabe's ears added, "Looks like angels."_

 _"And they waited to the last minute to show up?" Sam asked._

 _"Don't know," Dean answered, "Looks like they also did a smite n' dash. Let's just get the kid's out of here and back to their parents and figure out what to do next from there."_

 _Two hours later Helen was throwing her arms around her mother's neck, while her father scooped up her younger brother in front of the police station._

 _There were so many kids that Sam and Dean had decided to take up their F.B.I personas to have the police help facilitate the reunions. The kids had been mercifully drugged through most of the ordeal, so there was little risk of them saying anything about demons. With Helen and her brother reunited with their parents all the children were back where they belonged._

 _All accept one._

 _According to the police no one had reported Gabe missing, and he hadn't said anything to anyone since Dean had found him. They had brought a child physcritrist, a woman named Dr. Summerset, for all the children, but even she couldn't get anything out of him._

 _"Perhaps Agent Skinner should talk to him again," Dr. Summerset suggested, "From what I've been told the two do share a report."_

 _Dean stared into the room where Gabe was sitting at the table, having a staring contest with a crayon. "I'll give it a try."_

 _Gabe looked up as he saw Dean step into the room. "Hey, buddy," Dean began, "Do you remember me?"_

 _"You found me in kitchen," Gabe answered, "Thank you."_

 _"Don't mention it," Dean replied, "Is it okay if I set down?"_

 _Gabe nodded._

 _Dean struggled to keep his balance as he set down in the child-sized chair. "Listen Gabe," Dean began, "We've been trying to get everyone back with their parents, but we can't find yours, so, it would be great if you could tell us where they are. I'm sure they're worried about you."_

 _"I don't have any parents," Gabe answered softly._

 _"Well, who takes care of you then?" Dean asked._

 _"No one." Gabe answered._

 _Dean's heart sunk. This might explain why he hadn't been reported missing. Whoever had him simply didn't care enough to do it, or didn't want to admit to losing him._

 _Suddenly Gabe spoke again. "Can I stay with you?"_

 _Dean froze for a moment. "What?"_

 _"Can I stay with you?" The boy repeated, "I won't make any trouble. Please?"_

 _After taking a minute to think out his response, Dean said," Look, Gabe, I have a dangerous job that takes most of my time, I don't have time to properly take care of you."_

 _Gabe lowered his eyes._

 _"Tell you what," Dean said, "I can take you to social services, if will make you feel less scared."_

 _Gabe nodded. "Thank you."_

 _They were driving to the social service office when Dean looked back in the rearview mirror at Gabe. The poor little boy just looked so lost and alone, it broke Dean's heart. And made him empathize a little. Suddenly, before he knew what he was doing, he found himself turning the car around._

 _"Dean?" Sam exclaimed in surprise, "What are you doing?"_

 _"What does it look like I'm doing?" Dean replied, "We've done the job, so we're leaving town."_

 _"Yeah, but," Sam began, gesturing with his head, "We still have cargo to drop off."_

 _"He's coming with us." Dean answered bluntly._

 _Sam's eyes widened and he jumped in his seat a little. "What?!"_

 _"You heard me," Dean replied, "The kid's literally got no one and for some reason he likes us."_

 _"What are we, an orphanage?" Sam snarked, "Dean look, at how we live. If he travels with us, he's gonna get killed."_

 _"No, he won't." Dean said, "Because we are going to keep him safe." He looked back in the rearview and saw Gabe looking surprised and confused._

 _"Change of plans, kid." Dean said, "You're coming with us." After a beat he added, "That sounded less threatening in my head."_

 **Glen Echo, New York**

 **Present Day**

"And see, we've keep him safe." Dean said, gesturing to Gabe, "Sam's even changed his mind about it."

Sam and Dean exchanged looks. That seemed rather inconsistent with Sam's state of mind at this point in their time line.

"And he's not a distraction?" Sam asked, "You know, with the Apocalypse being nigh at all?"

"We keep him out of it," The Dean of the universe replied, "And the Apocalypse ain't so nigh anymore. We've had an freaky string of wins. In fact, I think this guy here," Dean put the boy beside him in a side-hug, "Might be our good luck charm."

Satisfied with that answer, Sam and Dean set about making the spell. Or rather they tried to, but somehow they kept misplacing items. Dean was looking for the saint's backbone in the duffle bag only to fine everyone they had, stacked up in a neat little pile. Both the goat bile and lamb's blood wound up spilling, though neither of them had been near the, at the time. The wlovesbane somehow wound up on the bed next to Gabe who was playing with it.

As Dean reclaimed it, there was a sound of a car pulling up outside. "That's probably Sam," The Dean of the universe said, getting off of the bed, "I'll go tell what's going on so he doesn't freak out when he sees you." Looking at Gabe briefly before walking off he added, "Be good."

Shortly after Dean walked out the door, the jar of salt levitated into the air. "What the-" Dean exclaimed, reaching for it, but it moved in the other direction, eluding his grasp. Gabe started to giggle.

Turning his attention away from the flying salt, Dean took a good look at the kid. He seemed rather harmless, but something wasn't sitting right with him. Then he saw his eyes. They were brown, but they a particular shade of brown that he had only seen one place before. _"No,"_ He thought, _"Why would he do this, and even if there was a reason, he wouldn't be stupid enough to use his real name."_ But then again, at that point in time they didn't _know_ his real name. "Hey Sam," He said, "Can I see you alone for a minute?"

"Yeah," Sam said, catching on that something was going on as well.

They walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind them, though they knew it wasn't much protection. "So, you think something up's with the kid?" Sam asked.

"Oh, I know something's wrong with the kid," Dean replied, "I fact, I'm pretty sure he's a Archangel."


	56. Divinity In Two Disguises

"Where did that come from?" Sam asked. While he knew there was more to Gabe then meets the eye, he hadn't made the connection yet.

"For one thing he's been screwing with us for over an hour," Dean began, "Sound like anyone we know."

"It sounds like several different people slash monsters we know," Sam replied.

"Okay where think about his name." Dean instructed.

That was when it hit Sam. "Oh. Okay, then why is he doing this? I mean, our Gabriel wanted the Apocalypse to happen, and from the sound of it-if it is actually him-he's _helping_ them."

Before Dean could reply there was a knock on the door and a familiar, adult voice called out, "Ah, if you guys would come out here for a minute, I can explain everything."

They opened the door revealing the adult Archangel Gabriel standing in front of them. "It's a fair cop," He admitted, "It's my own fault for pushing my luck, really, but messing with you was entertaining."

"And what about these guys?" Dean asked, "Playing with their heartstrings entertaining for you? Man, that's low even for you."

"I wasn't planning on some long con," Gabriel began, "In the beginning, I was just-"

It was then that the Sam and Dean of the universe came in, and upon seeing the Trickster, went for their weapons.

"Hold on a-" Dean began, but before he could finished Gabriel transformed into the little boy they knew as Gabe.

"What?" The Dean of that universe balked in shock. The Sam of that universe just stood there, gaping.

"Okay," The Archangel began," I'm sure you're very upset and confused. Just give me a second and I can explain everything."

 **Cedars, Arkansas**

 **2008**

 _Gabriel had been looking for his next victim when he came across a dilapidated church. He saw someone though the window carrying the form of an unconscious five-year-old._

 _"What have we here?" Gabriel wondered aloud, turning himself invisible._

 _Sneaking through the back, Gabriel followed the man, a demon, he realized, into the sanctuary of the church. There was another demon in a male meatsuit who was being yelled at by a demon in a woman's meatsuit. When she was finished, he rushed from the room to fix whatever she had been mad about. Then she turned to the male demon carrying the child. "Put him with the others." She ordered._

 _The male demon lowered the boy to the ground placing him in what Gabriel realized was a row of children. As he watched the demon washed some sort of ceremonial dagger Gabriel realized what was going on. These demons were trying to break a seal._

 _Gabriel attempted to teleport but was shocked and terrified to find that he couldn't. Something was wrong._

 _Just then the male demon the leader had been yelling at earlier returned. "I fixed the angel warding." He said._

 _That made no sense. Angel warding should have ejected him from the building, not keep him trapped. Well, certain angels warding only kept angels out, and by extension, keep angels in, if they were in the building at the time. Which could explain what was happening here._

 _Gabriel started to panic. He could killed the demons if he had to, but that would leave him stuck there. Well, he might not be completely stuck there, since he was more powerful than the average angel, his flying might be affected, but maybe he would be able to walk out._

 _Before he could try anything, one of the male demons started walking in his direction. As Gabriel backed up, he could hear of one of the children start to sniffle._

 _"Give the brat more sedative." The leader ordered, "Last things we need is these ankle-biters trying to fight back."_

 _Gabriel froze. Was he really gonna let this happen? Was he doing to let all those children die? He had to. Those seals had to break. It was the only way for it all to end. Besides half of those children would die in the coming Apocalypse anyway. And besides, it not like he helped out before this point._

 _As the ceremony began, he decided to look for a place to hide until it was all over. He was halfway down the hall when the chanting stopped and he could hear some sort of scuffle. Maybe some of the kids woke up?_

 _Gabriel turned around in time to see Sam and Dean Winchester being thrown against a wall. "I'll be taking that," The leader taunted as she reclaimed the knife, "Now, where were we?"_

 _Something inside Gabriel snapped. They were just going to have to break another seal. Doing the first thing he could think of, he created a ball of light to get their attention. As he heard the leader order one of her underlings to see about, he sent it down the hall, luring the demon as safe distance away as he creatated another ball of light in the left hallway._

 _When the demons met each other in the kitchen, the lights disappeared and Gabriel made himself visible, quickly smiting them. "Don't go nowhere,'' He could hear the leader saying, then he could hear her walking down the hall. When she appeared in the doorway Gabriel reached out and smote her so fast she didn't know what hit her._

 _"I'll go see what that was, you get the kids," He heard Dean Winchester say._

 _"Crap." Gabriel uttered aloud. He started to turn himself invisible again when he had an idea. The Winchesters could be his ticket out of here. He quickly transformed himself into a small child, he though age seven ought to do it, and ran into the closet to hide, as he believed a child in this situation would do._

 _Lying in wait, he listened to Dean's reaction as he entered the kitchen and found the bodies. "What the-"He heard, them a paused, then, "Hey! Is there an angel in the house?!_

 _It was then Gabriel decided to make himself known. He squirmed enough just to get Dean's attention, which worked, as the hunter pulled the door open, gun in hand, which he began to lower the second he saw the "child." "It's alright," He said, "I'm not gonna hurt you. What's your name?"_

 _Gabriel thought for a moment, then coming up with the easiest thing, whimpered, "Gabe." It's not like they knew his real name, right? No way they'd put two and two together._

 _"Well, Gabe," The hunter began, "I'm Dean. I'm gonna get you out of here, okay?"_

 _Laying it on thick, the archangel timidly took Dean's hand._

 _"Okay Gabe," Dean said, taking off his jacket, "I'm gonna put this over you and you're gonna look straight ahead, alright?"_

 _"Alright," Gabriel replied, starting to feel a little guilty due to the care Dean was taking._

 _As Dean lead Gabriel down the hall, the archangel had to think of quick answers to his questions. He weaved a story of being taken from a park, of waking up enough to escape his captors and hide in the closet where Dean had found him. He claimed that while he had saw a bright light and heard the screams, he didn't see what killed the demons, tearing up a little, which ended the interrogation._

 _Gabriel's heart leapt into his throat as they walked him out of the crunch, unsure if he was able to leave, until he crossed the threshold. Maybe his theory had been right, maybe on the way out the kids had touched the walls and messed with the hidden markings, or maybe that guy hadn't fixed it completely. Either way, he could get out._

 _Now the problem was keeping up the cerade at least until the Winchesters left. Unfortunately they weren't going to leave until this last child had been reunited with his parents._

 _Gabriel set in the room they had put him twirling a crayon in his hand, thinking about the best route to take. He could conjure up some fake parents for the occasion. Yes, that's what he would do._

 _He was about to enact his plan when the door opened, and Dean Winchester entered. "Hey, buddy," He began, "Do you remember me?"_

 _"You found me in kitchen," Gabriel answered, as that was what he thought a child in this situation would say, "Thank you."_

 _"Don't mention it," Dean replied, "Is it okay if I set down?"_

 _Thinking that at least for the moment he should keep up the act, Gabriel nodded._

 _Dean struggled to keep his balance as he set down in the child-sized chair, and Gabriel struggled to keep from cracking up._

 _"Listen Gabe," Dean began, "We've been trying to get everyone back with their parents, but we can't find yours, so, it would be great if you could tell us where they are. I'm sure they're worried about you."_

 _"I don't have any parents," Gabe answered softly, to his own disbelief. Why did he just say that? He was going to make himself parents. This was not part of the plan._

 _"Well, who takes care of you then?" Dean asked._

 _"No one." Gabriel answered. What was he doing? At least before he could make up some fake Grandparents or something. This was only making things worst. Overcompensating by trying to be cute, Gabriel added. "Can I stay with you?"_

 _Dean froze for a moment. "What?"_

 _"Can I stay with you?" Gabriel repeated, completely bluffing and never thinking they'd actually agree to it, "I won't make any trouble. Please?"_

 _After a minute, Dean said," Look, Gabe, I have a dangerous job that takes most of my time, I don't have time to properly take care of you."_

 _While Gabriel was overjoyed that things were starting to get back on track, he lowered his eyes._

 _"Tell you what," Dean said, "I can take you to social services, if will make you feel less scared."_

 _That Gabe lowered his eyes. That would work perfectly. He could just teleport from the office after they left. "Thank you."_

 _While he was really happy that they were going to leave him at social services and therefore provide him with the opportunity to escape, Gabriel did his best to look the part of the traumatized, scared orphan. Apparently he did too good a job because before he knew what was happening, the car was going in the opposite direction._

 _"Dean?" Sam exclaimed in surprise from the passenger seat, "What are you doing?"_

 _"What does it look like I'm doing?" Dean replied from the driver's seat, "We've done the job, so we're leaving town."_

 _"Yeah, but," Sam began, gesturing with his head, "We still have cargo to drop off."_

 _"He's coming with us." Dean answered bluntly._

 _Sam said what Gabriel was thinking. "What?!"_

 _"You heard me," Dean replied, "The kid's literally got no one and for some reason he likes us."_

 _"What are we, an orphanage?" Sam snarked, "Dean look, at how we live. If he travels with us, he's gonna get killed."_

 _"No, he won't." Dean said, "Because we are going to keep him safe." When he saw Gabriel's panicked expression, he added, "Change of plans, kid .You're coming with us." After a beat he added, "That sounded less threatening in my head."_

 _Gabriel had no clue how he was going to get out of this one._

 **Echo Glen, New York**

 **Present Day**

"But then I realized the opportunity I had," Gabriel finished, "I could speed up the Apocalypse."

"And what does a pagan god care about the Apocalypse?" The Sam of that universe asked.

"Oh, he's not really a pagan God," Dean spoke up, "He's really the archangel Gabriel in disguise."

"Really?!" Gabriel exclaimed, clearly pissed off.

"Well, if it's all coming out that might as well come out, too," Dean defended his decision.

"But you're not speeding up the Apocalypse," Sam pointed out, "Dean-that Dean said they were actually keeping more seals from being broken."

"Well, after spending time with these knuckleheads," Gabriel explained, "I started to change my mind, so yes, I've been helping out when they weren't looking. Which is surprisingly a lot."

"This actually explains a lot." The Sam of that universe said.

"Yeah," The Dean of that universe added, "A couple of those wins I mentioned were kind of weird."

"And there was the thing with the angels," The Sam of that universe added.

"Yeah," Dean agreed, "Whenever they did show up, he'd hide. We always just thought he was scared of them. We even tried giving Cas a toy to give him once thinking it would warn Gabe, or Gabriel apparently, up to him, but he just cowered in the bathroom 'till he left."

"Yeah, but he likes Ruby," Sam pointed out.

"Ah, actually not so much," Gabriel cut in," I didn't trust her either, so I never left you two alone. Now, if you excuse me, I am going to leave with what's left of my dignity."

"Actually," Dean spoke up, "As long as you drop the little kid act, and you don't kill a bunch of people...and you let these two finish their spell, we wouldn't mind having you on the team."

Gabriel pretended to think of it for a moment, then said, "Deal."

As agreed, Gabriel let Sam and Dean finish the spell. It was Sam that read this time. Sam finished the ingredients and Dean read," Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind picked up and once again the Winchesters were engulfed in a bright light.


	57. The Biggest Shock Of All

**AN: Special thanks to Tamashi Horo for this request.**

 **Quick heads up about this particular AU because I know several of my readers have very...strong feelings on the subject. (Personally it's not usually my cup of tea either, but multiple people have pointed out the potential shock value, and I got a really good idea for it, so-) This AU involves Winest. Please no one punch their walls, you know who you are.**

This time when the light faded they were in a very familiar scrap yard. Looking around, they saw no one around they started to put the spell together when Sam caught their parallel sleves out of the corner of his eye trough a nearby window. They were younger than they were now, late and mid-twenties, and appeared to be having some sort of fight. He couldn't make out what was being said, but if facial expression and body language was any indication, Dean was trying to desperately to convince Sam of something, and the latter was too angry to listen. So far this universe wasn't too different from their own.

At least until Sam turned to face the fireplace. Dean crept up behind him and wrapped his arms around the younger man's waist in a somewhat awkward, but intimate gesture.

"What the-"The Sam on the outside said.

Dean, who had been pouring in the brine, paused for a moment, "What? What is it?"

"Something's weird going on in there," Sam said, pointing to the window.

Dean joined Sam, looking into the window just in time to see the Sam of that universe lean down, and the Dean of that universe pull themselves up, until the pair's lips met.


	58. Lindy's Secert

**AN: Apologies in advance to any rednecks for certain comments made by Canon! Dean in this chapter. His views aren't mine.**

They just stood there for a moment in stunned silenced. "Did what I think just happened, happen?" Sam asked finally.

"If you think you just saw your parallel self kiss his freakin' brother, yeah, yeah you did." Dean said, trying his best not to freak out.

"That means parallel universe you kissed his brother, too," Sam pointed out.

Dean felt like he might puke. "Oh, my God, please don't say that. Can we please just move away from this window so they don't see us and finish this spell, please? I just-really wanna get out of here."

As they walked through the rows of cars Sam suggested, "Maybe we're not related here."

"Can we please not talk about it?" Dean pleaded, "If we ever get back home I'm gonna need like five gallons of brain bleach."

"Guys?" A female voice they didn't recognized, called out, "Guys are you out here?" A few seconds later a teenage girl with glossy black hair, dressed in a long, caramel-colored coat appeared between two rows. "Oh," She said, "There you are. What are you guys doing back here?" The her face fell as she noticed they were noticeably older then the pair she was use to dealing with. "Sa-" She began before Dean leapt at her, pinning her arms to her sides with one arm, and covering her month with his hand. "It's alright," He said, quickly, "We're Sam and Dean from another universe. We were hunting a witch, she did this spell, it sent us to another universe, and we're just trying to get back to ours, but now we wound up in this eff'ed -up one and we just wanna leave!" He removed his hand from the girl's mouth, then asked, "Now, can we trust you not to run off and tell your redneck friends we're here?"

"I don't think they're all that redneck-" Sam began.

"They're kissing _brothers_ Sam!" Dean snapped, "That's pretty damn-"

"How do you know about that?" The girl said, suddenly even more alarmed then she had been before, renewing her struggle for freedom.

"We saw them getting their _Flowers In The Attic_ on back there in the house," Dean said, pointing back to the house.

"Dude, you actually read _Flowers In The Attic_?" Sam asked.

"No, not _that_ ," The girl said, "I mean that they're brothers."

Everything got quiet for a minute. At last Sam asked, "You mean they don't know they're related?"

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **1983**

 _John shoved the infant Sam at four-year-old Dean. "Take your brother outside as fast as you can and don't look back, " He demanded, "Now, Dean, go!"_

 _Dean turned and ran. John, however, ran back to the nursery to try to save his wife._

 _He never came out._

 **Lawrence Kansas**

 **1984**

 _A now five-year-old Dean Winchester scurried through the halls of the abandoned house, trying to escape the monster now chasing him_

 _In the year since his parents' death, Dean had fell through almost every crack the system had. First, he was separated from his brother (who was adopted by a nice family who had they known of Dean's existence would have taken him, too) then he placed the care of woman who fostered for profit and was too drunk to notice the child being dragged off by a Rurgrau._

 _As Dean came to a dead-end hallway, the creature appeared, cornering him. Tears filled the poor little boy's eyes to point he couldn't see, then he heard a man's voice call out, "Hey! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?!"_

 _The Rurgrau turned around to face the hunter in a baseball cap that had snuck up behind him with a flame thrower. "Close your eyes, son," He instructed as he started the device, setting the creature on fire. Running past it, he quickly scoped up Dean and ran from the scene. "It's alright," The hunter tried to soothe, "I got you."_

 _He set the child down outside, then looked him over to make see if he was hurt. He several small cuts and bruises, as well as a goose egg forming on his head, but nothing that had to attendened to immediately. The hunter removed his over shirt and draped it over the little boy's shaking shoulders. "What's your name, kid?"_

 _The child let out a small wine, but nothing else._

 _"Mine's Bobby." The man said, hopping it might encourage the child to open up._

 _"I'm Dean, " He whimpered finally._

 _"Well, Dean," Bobby began, "I have to go back in there to make sure that thing doesn't hurt anyone else, then I'll take you home, okay?"_

 _After making sure the Rugraru was dead, Bobby questioned Dean about his parents. Dean explained that his parents had 'gone to Heaven' as he put it, and now he lived with a woman named Ms. Hopewell._

 _Bobby parked his truck in front of Ms. Hopewell's residence and stepped out. "Come on, son," He said, open the back door and taking Dean's hand, "Let's go."_

 _As he walked Dean up the lot the paved walkway Bobby couldn't help but notice the trash cans set out at the curb were overflowing with large glass bottles. He picked one up and read the label. It was a bottle of desert wine. "Hey, Dean," The hunter began, "Do know what's the deal with all these bottles?"_

 _"Peggy Sue calls it Ms. Hopewell's grown-up juice," Dean answer, "She says we're not suppose to get in it, 'cause we're not old enough, and if we were smart we never will."_

 _"Uh, huh," Bobby said, a picture of the situation forming in his mind, "And how much of this adult juice did Ms. Hopewell have tonight?"_

 _"Enough to make her go to sleep." Dean answered._

 _That did it. "Alright," Bobby said, picking up Dean and turning around, "Here's what we're going to do. I'm going to call someone to come get Peggy Sue and any other kids Ms. Hopewell might have, and you're coming with me until I can find you a good home."_

 **Sioux Falls, South Dakota**

 **2000**

 _Twenty one year old Dean Winchester was working under the hood of a car when he heard the phone ringing from inside the house, he dropped everything he was doing and ran to get it. Normally he would had just let it ring, but his adopted father was on a hunt, so it might be sort of emergency, or worst, one of the other hunters that went with him calling to tell him Bobby was dead._

 _"Hello?" Dean said, trying not show fear in his voice as he picked up the phone._

 _"Dean, it's Bobby," The hunter said on the other end of the line, "By the time we got to the farm house most of the demons were gone, but we did manage to catch and exercise two. But that's not the reason I'm calling. It turns out those rumors of human captives were not exaggerated. We found one that's still alive, but barely."_

 _"What do you need me to do?" Dean asked, egger to help in any way he could. The fact that Bobby was tagging him in at all meant this was serious, and he could only imagine what the demons had done to this poor person. Demons weren't exactly known for their mercy._

 _"Get the emergency medical equipment out from the basement and set up a room," Bobby said, "We can't take him to a hospital. The demons might come after him if they realize he's still breathing. And there's a doctor I know who's familiar with what we do, I've already called her, she should be there any minute. You just need to let her in."_

 _"Okay," Dean said, before hanging up the phone._

 _Dean got a room upstairs ready and let the doctor, and tall, pale woman with brunette hair pulled back into tight bun. By then Bobby's truck came roaring up the driveway. Getting out of the truck, he helped his the two hunters who had accompanied him on the case, Rufus Turner and Annie Hawkins carry a boy who couldn't be more than seventeen out of the truck._

 _Dean gasped when he saw the state of the unconscious boy. Apart from the shirt someone had covered him with all he was wearing was torn, blood-stained brief on his pelvis. His brown hair was long and shaggy, going down to his shoulders, some of the locks glued to his face with dried blood. He was severely emaciated, which made some sense because who knew if those bastards ever fed him, and covered in cuts and gashes._

 _Without even having to be asked, Dean ran over to the hunters and helped them carry the young man inside._

 _When the doctor had finished her work, they decided to take turns, watching the young man until he awoke. Well that was the plan at least. However, when it came time for Dean's shift to be over, for some reason he couldn't bear to tear himself away from the young man, so he wound up keeping vigil over him for the next five days._

 _When the young man finally came to his eyes darted around the room confused. At first he seemed surprised to find himself in comfortable surroundings, then his eyes landed on Dean and the he began to shiver violently, his breathing quickening and his eye mirroring the utter terror he must be feeling inside. "Hey, kid!" Dean said, "Clam down! It's alright, you don't have to be scared of me." But the petrified teenager seemed to paid him no heed. Now he shut his eyes tightly as he cried uncontrollably, muttering, "no, no, on," over and over again like a sad mantra._

 _"Kid, hey, hey, kid!" Dean tried in a hush, soothing tone, "You're safe, you're safe! Please listen to me. You have nothing to be afraid of."_

 _The boy remained unconvinced. He was almost certain that was some kind of new trick by the demons, making him believe that he had escaped only to snatch it all back again, but the voice was so persuasive and reassuring, it clamed him somewhat._

 _"That's it," Dean continued, as the boy stopped trembling, "Now, can you open those eyes for me?"_

 _The youth slowly opened his eyes, relieving two chocolate-colored irises that looked still very much afraid._

 _"That's it, you're fine," Dean reaffirmed, "Shhh, no one can hurt you anymore."_

 _The teen scanned the older boy's face and saw no lies or malicious intent. Just worry and an honest yet sad smile. "My name's Dean," He continued, "Can you tell me your name?"_

 _"S-Samuel," The boy stuttered after a moment._

 _"Samuel," Dean repeated, "That's a nice name. I knew a Sammy once." Dean didn't remember much about his birth family, he was so young when they died, but he could still remember standing at the doorway of the foster home, crying out for the social worker not to take Sammy away. He pushed those thoughts back. His brother was long gone, and though he hopped he was okay, right now this Samuel was the one that needed him. "Do you prefer Sam or Samuel?"_

 _Sam paused for a minute. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had actually used his name let alone asked him that. "Sam." He said finally, "Um, where am I?"_

 _"A scrap yard in Sioux Falls," Dean answered, "My dad and his friends found you at abandoned farm. They were planning to clear the place of demons, demons, those are the things that had you, if you didn't already know, but they were too late for that. Fortunately not too late to save you. They didn't want to risk taking you to the hospital, in case those bastards tried to finish the job, so brought you here. This place is warded against just about everything, including demons, they can't get to you here. It was touch and go there for a little bit, and you're not out of the woods yet, but you're going to be okay." Physically, at least, but Dean didn't think it was a good idea to mention that to Sam right now._

 _Sam didn't know how to react, what to say. It had been so long since anybody had talked to him, unless it to mock him or give an order. Was this real? Was he truly saved? Was he finally going to be free after two years of painful captivity? When he found his voice what came out was a hesitant, "Wh-why would you help m-me?"_

 _"Why?" Dean repeated, like he could believe that was even a question, "Why wouldn't we? We couldn't let an innocent person die like that! Not when there was something we could do about it."_

 _"If-if you knew why they took me, what I've done, you wouldn't think that," Sam told him, chocking on his words as fresh tears rolled down his face, "You'd have your hunter friends put me down..."_

 _"I've already told you, not me nor anybody else here is going to harm you," Dean replied, "Not on after all the work we put into keeping you alive, and most certainly not on my watch. We'll keep you safe." Dean handed Sam a tissue and wiped the tears away with a looked the resembled that of a kicked puppy._

 _"And anyway, what is it that you possibly could have done?" Dean asked, partly thinking aloud, "Why did they take you?"_

 _Sam opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. His mind was too boggled, he was too scared of what would happen when it was revealed what had gone on in that farm._

 _"That's alright," Dean said," We can talk about it later." While they needed information about what was going on, he understood that Sam probably didn't want to bear all to a complete stranger, and he didn't want to push him. "Would you like me to get you something to eat? You're probably starving."_

 _Sam nodded._

 _Over the next few days Dean continued to nurse Sam back to health. Bobby and the others tried to help and wanted to try to ask the boy about what had happened, but he was extremely uneasy around everyone but Dean, so most of the jobs fell to him. Not that he minded, though. He was starting to get rather found and protective of the younger man._

 _At the end of the first week, stirring the dregs of chicken broth of his bowel Sam spoke up. "Dean?"_

 _Dean immediately sat up. "Yeah?"_

 _"I think I'm ready to talk," Sam said, "About what happened at the farm."_

 _"Just give me a second, I'll go get Dad," Dean said, getting up._

 _"No," Sam said quickly, "Just you." Bobby was okay, but Dean was the only person Sam trusted. He wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because Dean was the first person he saw after he woke up, maybe it was because Dean wasn't actually a hunter, maybe it was because he was the one who took care of him, but whatever the reason, he felt like he could talk to Dean._

 _"Well, okay then," Dean said, sitting back down, "It'll be just you and me."_

 _However Sam remained quiet, focusing all his energy on the bowel. A few seconds later it raised up into the air, moved a few inches and landed almost gracefully on the bedside table._

 _Dean's widened as he stared at the bowel. "Sam," He began finally, "Was that...was that you?"_

 _Sam nodded then closed his eyes, bracing for Dean to call for Bobby, for the bullet to enter his head. He was scared to die, but he was ready to see his family again._

 _Instead, Dean said, "So, you're like physic?"_

 _Sam nodded again. "I also have visions sometimes. It started when I turned thirteen, but I was fifteen when they came for me. My baby sister Lindy came into the kitchen with a knife and there was some people behind her, and...I don't remember much of what happened after that, just a fire and so, so much blood. I didn't know what I was, not even after it started happening...if I had known I would have diseapred or killed myself while there was still time and they'd still be alive." There was a long pause after that as Sam tried to keep from bursting into tears._

 _Dean could feel a familiar anger boiling up inside him. Not at Sam, but what Sam had been through; he didn't deserve any of it and he most certainly didn't deserve to believe it was his fault!_

 _He was about to tell Sam so when he got his bearings enough to talk again. "The first few month were mostly what they called training, moving things, making my powers stronger. Then they started making me...do things."_

 _"What kind of things?" Dean asked._

 _"They made me help them break in places," Sam said, "I don't know why, they could do it themselves. They made help them torture people. Hold weapons over their bodies with no hands, scare them. Other times they put me a room with another physic, and we had to fight... to the death." Sam's voice trailed off._

 _Dean was starting to get scared. He wasn't sure if it was Sam's powers or that he had killed just admitted to killing people, or that the demons used Sam to do their dirty work, and apparently for their own entertainment. That was the part that really made Dean mad._

 _As he watched the range of emotions in Dean's eyes, Sam wanted to just find somewhere to curl up and die. He was sure he had just scared off the only person to be kind to him in over two years. "I'm sorry," He pleaded, "I'm sorry! I never wanted to hurt anyone! They made me do it! I would get rid of these powers, but I can't! I don't know how! I'm sorry!"_

 _Dean's heart crumbled as he stood up and approach Sam. The younger man was too distraught to try to fight back as Dean sat down next to him and very carefully put his arm around him in an attempt at an embrace. "Sam?" He began, "Can you look at me for a second?"_

 _Sam did and Dean gently wiped some of the tears away with his thumb as he said, "You have nothing to apologize for. Nothing that happened was your fault. The demons made you do those things. They're the monsters here, not you, do you understand?"_

 _"Yes," Sam replied, only partly believing it._

 _"Good," Dean said, "I want you to stop blaming yourself, you hear me?"_

 _"I'll try," Sam responded._

 _"I don't want you try, I want you to promise," Dean said, a little firmer._

 _"Okay," Sam sniffed, "I promise, I'll try."_

 _Dean couldn't help but chuckle._

 **Sioux Falls, South Dakota**

 **Six Months Later**

 _"Dean!" Sam called out, walking through the rows of the cars in the scrap yard, carrying a tray._

 _"Over here!" Dean said taking inventory of the cars in scrap lot. Dean was the one who kept things going while Bobby was away._

 _"Thought you might be thirsty," Sam said, gesturing to the tea picture on the tray with his head._

 _"You are a prince among men," Dean said taking a glass from the tray. Taking a gulp of the tea he noticed it tasted strange. Not bad, but different. "Ah, Sam," He said, "What are those leaves?"_

 _"Sage," Sam answered, "Don't worry, we still have plenty if we need it for a spell. I just wanted to try my mom's old recipe." He paused at the mention of his mother, than trying to somewhat change the subject said, "Is it alright? I haven't got the chance to taste it yet."_

 _"You tell me," Dean said, moving in so that his lips barely touched Sam's._

 _Neither of them was sure when the feelings started to develop. Dean hadn't acted on his because he didn't want to take advantage of Sam, of his youth and his delicate mental state. Then one day Sam took his hand. Before anyone knew what had happened the two were in a committed relationship._

 _"I'd say it taste pretty good," Sam said, smiling a little._

 _Just then the phone rang from inside the house._

 _"I'll get it," Sam said, sitting the tray down and heading back in the house. "Hello?" He said after picking up._

 _"Hey, Sam," Bobby's voice said through the phone, a little nervous, "Can I talk to Dean?"_

 _"Sure," Sam said, laying the phone on the counter then heading to the door, "Dean, it's Bobby! He wants to talk to you!"_

 _Dean ran up to the house and took the phone. "Is everything okay?"_

 _"Not really," Bobby said gravely, "Me and Rufus were exercising this demon from a kid who couldn't be more than fourteen, when we found something in her pocket..."_

 _Two hours later Dean, Sam, Bobby and Rufus were standing outside the church as Sam looked at the picture they found in the girl's pocket. It was of Sam, younger than he was now, maybe about fourteen, standing with his arm around a slightly younger version of the child tied to a chair inside the church, standing in front of a tree._

 _"That's her," Sam confirmed, his voice cracking a bit, "That's my little sister Lindy. I thought she was dead."_

 _Everyone looked at everyone else uncomfortably._

 _"What?" Sam asked, what is it?_

 _"You wanna take this?" Bobby asked._

 _Dean nodded as he clasped Sam's hand. "Sam," He said, "Demon's can be rather hard on their host bodies. Depending on what she's been through, she might not make it."_

 _Sam's heart sank._

 _"But you'll try our best," Dean promised._

 _As Rufus and Bobby went back into the church to continue the exercise, Dean pulled his boyfriend close, trying to provide some comfort._

 _An hour later, Bobby and Rufus came out of the church excited, carrying a limp girl between them._

 _"Lindy," Sam breathed, holding up the girl's face and looking into her eyes, "Lindy, it's Sam. It's alright, you're free now. You just need to stay with us, okay?"_

 _As they put her in the truck she just kept staring at her brother and the young man who never left his side, a pit forming in her stomach. For while inside her, the demon had told her a dark, terrible secret about the man her brother was in love with._

 _He was his biological brother._

 **Sioux Falls**

 **Present Day**

"Why didn't you tell them?" Dean demanded, once Lindy had finished.

"I was going to," Lindy said, "But then I watch them together and I started to figure out that's Dean was best thing in my brother's life at that moment and still is and to find out the truth-that might destroy him and I can't do that."

"There have been cases of relatives reunited after years becoming romantically attacked to each other," Sam said, "Even when they don't realize they're related."

"It's called Genetic Sexual Attraction," Lindy added, "I started looking into after this whole-insanity began. There was actually a case in the UK were _twins_ who were separated birth didn't realize they were related until after they got married. Understandably they got it annulled."

"Yeah, but how did they not figure it out," Sam asked, "I mean, Dean should at least have some memories of having a brother name Sam. Once they compared notes they should've at least wondered."

"Lah, lah, lah, I'm not listening!" Dean said with his hands over his ears.

"Will you tone it down?" Lindy snapped, "They're gonna hear you. As for why they didn't know, I don't know how much Dean's told Sam about his birth family, and I didn't even know Sam was adopted until..."Her voice trailed off for a moment, then she said, "For all I know, our parents didn't tell him either."

"Well, this should be a lesson for everyone," Dean said, "Be open with your kids if they're adopted so they don't wind up _kissing their brother !_ "

Lindy squirmed uncomfortably and they felt a pang of pity for her. It was a very difficult situation she was in.

"Look," Dean, "You go in there, keep them distracted, and we'll finish the spell and be out of your hair and no one will be the wiser."

"Okay," Linda said, hurrying off.

They quickly threw the spell together and Sam read from the book, ," Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

As they were engulfed by the white light, the Winchesters really hopped the next universe was theirs.


	59. Switch Part 2

**AN: Special thanks to Tie-DyedBroadway for this request.**

However, they had no such luck as when they came to they were in a bathroom of all places. It was rather nice bathroom; white tile and light blue walls. They started the spell when they heard a conversation outside.

"But we still haven't found the damn thing." A voice was saying, "So we kill everything we _can_ find."

"So we're back to that day." The Dean in the bathroom whispered.

"But, wait," The Sam in the bathroom whispered back, "That's not my voice."

"We save a lot of other people doing it, too." Another voice pointed it out.

"That's not my voice, either." The Dean in the bathroom said, and peaked outside.

Sure enough, it was a twenty-six year old Dean who said, "You think Mom would have wanted this for us?" And a twenty-two year old Sam who rolled his eyes.


	60. Things Fall Apart

"The weapon training, and melting sliver into bullets." The Dean of that universe continued, completely unaware that they weren't alone in the apartment, "Man, Sam, we were raised like warriors."

"I know! I was there!" Sam shot back.

The Dean in the bathroom laughed, wishing he had thought of that when he and Sam had this conversation.

"So what are you gonna do?" The Sam of that universe continued, "You're just gonna live some normal, apple pie life? Is that it?"

"No." Dean replied, "Not normal. Safe."

"And that's why you ran away?" Sam asked before looking away.

"I was just going to collage." Dean replied, "It was Dad who said if I was gonna go I should stay gone, and you were the one who went with him."

 **Highway 98, Idaho**

 **1997**

 _When Sam awoke, his vision was blurry. As it cleared he could feel the ground moving beneath him, and he realized he was on a bus. He looked around, and found Dean who he was leaned up against, staring down at him. "Dean?" He asked, looking around, confused, "What's going on?" The last thing he could remember was Dean sneaking into their room through a window. He and Dad had had another fight, and Dean had left._

 _"I couldn't leave you behind but I didn't want you to freak out," Dean explained, "So I drugged that milk I gave you. Not my finest moment." He had been feeling guilty about it since the moment the kid passed out. but he didn't know what else to do; Sam was so under Dad' spell._

 _"Is this about the fight you had with Dad?" Sam guessed._

 _"Kind of," Dean said, pulling something out from the duffle bag at his side and handed it to his little brother. Sam began to read it. "Who's Standford?" He asked._

 _Dean chuckled at his younger brother's innocence. "It's not a who, it's a what." He told him, "It's a school and I got in. That's what Dad was mad about believe it or not. But I couldn't leave you behind. I got it all worked out, Sammy. I'll find a place for us to live, we'll get you enrolled in school, everything's gonna be just fine."_

 _"But what about Dad?" Sam asked, still a little groggy._

 _Dean was quiet for a minute trying to think of what to say. "Listen, uh, Sam," Dean began, "Dad's not gonna be in the picture anymore."_

 _Dean tried to pull Sam closer to him, but his little brother pulled back. "W-Why?' He asked, "Did something happen to him?"_

 _"Nothing happened to him." Dean reassured him, "It's gonna be you and me from now on, okay?"_

 _Sam was still confused, but nodded._

 _Two days later they were both asleep in a motel room when they were awoken by a knocking on the door. "Dean!' John Winchester's enraged voice called out,"Dean, I know you're both in there! Open this door!"_

 _Sam was about to call out to his father when Dean rushed over and covered his mouth. "Don't." Dean ordered in a harsh whisper, "Get into the bathroom and hide."_

 _Sam started to try to protest, from beneath his brother's hand when Dean whispered, "Not buts. Now get in there and don't make a sound, okay?"_

 _Sam nodded then Dean let him go, and the younger boo ran to the bathroom._

 _By the time Dean got to the door John was making enough racket that several other patrons were in the process of calling the cops, As he was about to pound in the door again, when it opened, revealing Dean, "What do you want?"_

 _"Where is he?" John demanded._

 _"Where's who?" Dean asked._

 _"You know who." John seethed, "Where's Sam?"_

 _"I don't know." Dean lied, "Isn't he with you?"_

 _"You know damn well he isn't." John said, pushing past Dean, "Sam! Sam, where are you?!"_

 _Sam peaked out the bathroom door._

 _"I've already told you." Dean snapped, "He's not here."_

 _"Right," John, "Sam disappears on the same night you leave? You expect me to believe there's not connection?"_

 _"You can believe what you want," Dean responded, "Doesn't change the fact that he's not-"_

 _Before Dean could finish the bathroom door slowly opened, revealing Sam._

 _"So he's not here, is he?" John said, then turning to look at his younger son, said, "Come on, Sam. Let's go."_

 _As John and San started to walk out the door Dean reached out to grab Sam, saying, "No, you can't just make him-"_

 _"No!" Sam exclaimed, pulling away from his older brother, "I want to go with him, I don't want to go with you. I'm not like you!"_

 _Dean felt like he had just been punched in the gut and just stared at Sam._

 _"You know how to make this go away, Dean." John spoke up coolly._

 _For a minute, Dean felt his resolve waver, but then he got a hold of himself, saying, "No. I'm sorry." That last comment was directed at Sam._

 _"Me, too." Sam said with tears in his eyes before walking out the door._

 **Sacramento, California**

 **Present Day**

"Would you stay with someone who basically kidnapped you?" The Sam of that universe argued.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say personality swap." The Dean in the bathroom whispered.

"I'm gonna have to agree with you." His Sam said "Now, let's get out of here before they notice someone in what I'm assuming is this universe's Dean's bathroom.

As the familiar argument took place a few feet away from them, the two prepared the spell, then Sam read from the book, "Sicka dessa fiender harifian till andra varldar tills jag kalla dem att atervanda."

As the wind picked up it knocked a glass jar of cue tips from the counter and their hearts started to beat a little faster as they heard footsteps hurrying in their direction. Fortunately they were engulfed in the white light seconds before that universe's Sam and Dean got there.

"Huh," Sam commented, "Weird." Then turning back to his brother said, "so, are you coming or not?"

"Fine." Dean said, "But I have to be back by Monday. I have a court case."

"Skip it." Sam suggested.

"That's not how being employed works." Dean replied.

Sam sighed. "Fine. Deal."


	61. Cat People

**Thanks to guest number 5 for this request.**

When they their vision cleared they were in the dark save for the illumination night-light stars on the ceiling were giving.

"I guess we have kids again?" Dean whispered.

"Or we all the kids." Sam whispered back, "Look."

There were two beds in the room the one furthest from them held an older the boy the one they were by held a boy of about seven years. At that point Dean noticed something odd. "What are they wearing on their heads?"

Each boys had two rounded shapes sticking up from their heads. His curiosity getting the better him, Sam reached up a little and felt the shape. "I think they're..ear."

"Ears?" Dean replied, still in a whisper, "What do you mean, ea-" Then his voice trailed off as he noticed what appeared to be a long, slender tail sticking out from little Sam's bed, then noticed one sticking out somewhat from little Dean's as well. "Are those what I think they are?"

"They're tails from like," Sam began, "From a cat."

"So we're..."Dean began, "Cat people?"


	62. Another Inter-Species Adoption

"So apparently we are in a universe where there are human cat-hybrids and we are apparently human-cat hybrids ourselves." Dean said in a slightly deadpan.

"Apparently." Sam said.

 _"But how-"_ Deanthought, _"How did this happen? Have their always been cat people? And if not, why would someone make a race of human-cat hybrids? And what about regular humans? Are there still regular humans in this world? Do they like, I don't know, live with the cat people?"_

 **St. Andrews Forrest, Kansas**

 **2013**

 _Eight-year-old Dean was couched on the ground creeping up on unsuspecting little brother, who was playing with a bug in the grass. Dean pounced, landing on the little boy and the pair began to struggle. Somewhere in the struggle Sam got the upper hand, bouncing on his brother's chest in victory._

 _Sam and Dean were cat people, a race of creatures that were the result of genetic fiddling in a lab. What kind of lab and why they were trying to make human mountain lion hybrids in the first place no one is sure, as no one wanted to own up to it after the first ones appeared. They had the intelligence and body of a human, but the superior of reflexes and senses of a wild cat, as well as a wild cat's tail and ears._

 _Like most cat children, Sam and Dean's play was practice for when they got older, when they had to hunt for themselves, however, that didn't mean Dean couldn't let Sam win every once in a while, especially since he was so little._

 _"Uh," Dean groaned in mock defeat, "You got me. I'm dead." Dean stuck his tongue out and closed his eyes._

 _Sam giggled nudging his brother._

 _Noticing how late it was getting Dean said, "Come on Sam. We should probably be getting back to the cave before Mom freaks out."_

 _"Okay," Sam said reluctantly, sliding off Dean._

 _The boys stood upright and started the way back to the pack. Sam ran a little bit ahead of Dean. After a few steps the younger boy felt something strange under his feat them suddenly he and Dean were jolted into the air, their world farmed in white cable._

 _"Help!" Sam cried out as he and Dean struggled to get out of the net._

 _"Somebody help us!" Dean shouted._

 _"Mommy!" Sam called, "Dad!"_

 _"Anybody please!" Dean added._

 _Suddenly there was a rustling through the trees and the boys felt a glimmer of hope that turned to terror when a group of four humans appeared._

 _Cat people did not have the same rights as humans, so any injured ones found by humans were eventually given the custody of zoos, and poachers would often set up traps like the ones the brothers now found themselves in, to capture cat people to sell as exotic pets. This was the species main reason for living out in the wilds._

 _"Well, lookie here." The leader of the group, an older bald man said, walking over to the net, "I'd say we can get a thousand bucks each, don't you think?"_

 _"Yeah," The only female in the group, a girl with young dark hair and similar features to the leader, spoke up, "I'd say that's about right."_

 _"When I get the net down, be ready to grab 'em." The leader instructed, starting to undo the net._

 _A few second later the net fell, causing the startled captives to scream. Instantly two pairs of hands roughly grabbed Dean's wrist, pulling him off the ground, while the woman scoped up a squalling Sam._

 _"No!" Dean shouted, struggling against their captors, "No! Let us go!"_

 _"Can you shut them up?" The leader demanded._

 _Suddenly Dean felt a prick on the back of his neck and he started to feel drowsy. Soon everything went black._

 _As Dean came to, the first sound he was aware of was the sound of someone weeping. He opened his eyes, and saw Sam huddled up next to him, tears streaming down his face. Dean sat up looking around and saw their world was surrounded by metal bars. Only it wasn't their world anymore. The ground beneath the strange contraption that held them was gray, and they were surrounded by strange boxes in all kind of colors some of them cocenneted to other boxes, some them with metal bars on top, like the one that held down. He looked around and saw the group that had captured them talking to another man in dressed in black, who handed them strange green leaves. As Dean grabbed his brother, he didn't understand a lot, but he knew one thing or certain._

 _They were truly lost._

 **Resurrection, Nebraska**

 **Present Day**

Just then the noise caused cat Sam to stir.His eyes fluttered open and he sat upright at the sight of two strangers in the room he shared with his brother.

"Mama Jo!" He shouted, "Ma Charlie! Hel-"

Thinking fast, adult, fully human Dean leapt on the bed covering the boy's month with his hand. However young cat person Dean had been awoke by the sound of his brother's screams and jumped onto his attacker, digging in with his cat-like fangs. "Ow!" Dean screamed, and at that same time there was the sound of feet running down the hall. A few seconds later two people who never met in their universe appeared in the doorway: Jo Harville and Charlie Bradberry. After getting over the surprise the Winchesters realized Jo was holding a gun on them.

"Whoa, there." Dean said, raising his hands in the air, "I know how this might look, but there is an explanation for all of this."

"A reasonable explanation for two-rather large men who we don't know being in our boys bedroom in the middle of the night?" Jo responded training the gun on them.

 _"Okay, can't argue with that."_ Dean thought then seeing their lack of tails and ears got an idea."We're with the Cat People Liberation Movement."

Sam shot Dean a questioning look.

"You're with the CPLM?" Jo asked, raising an eyebrow, "Seriously?"

 _"Wow, that's actually a thing?"_ Dean thought, but out loud he said, "Yeah."

"And since when does the CPLM advocate for the breaking and interring into private homes?" Jo asked.

Dean had to think on that one for a minute. "Since those private imprison small children." He said gesturing to the boys who were huddled up together on Sam's bed."Look at them, they're terrified."

Sam shot his brother a warning look, wanting him to quit while he was ahead.

"Have someone break into your room in the middle of the night, see how you feel. " Jo said, straining to keep herself under control, "Charlie, why don't you stay here with the boys while I take our guests to the living room and have a chat?"

Charlie rushed over to the boys, hugging them both as Jo ushered the other pair of brothers from the room at riffle point. "We don't have to go with them, do we?" They heard young Sam whimper.

"Of course not." Charlie soothed, "You don't have to go anywhere."

After they were out of ear shot as they were walked into a rather nice living room with a leather Chesterfield sofa and faded leather recliner surrounding a small black circular coffee table with a small stack of books and paper below it, and two half-empty champagne glasses on the top. Apparently they had interrupted a romantic evening of some kind. In front of that was TV stand with two drawers on the bottom and glass door on the side containing a shelf. While the bottom shelf held books the three other shelves as well as the top of the stand were covered in pictures, mostly of some combination of Charlie, Jo, Sam, and Dean. One of Charlie and Jo standing side by side in white dresses, Charlie with her hair smoothed into a neat ponytail, and Jo holding a simple nosegay. Another was of Ellen with a then four-year-old Sam snoozing stretched out in her lap.

"Sit down." Jo said tersely, gesturing to the couch.

They did, and after sitting the riffle out of their reach, Jo leaned up against coffee table and proceed to read them the riot act. "Look, normally, I am a big supporter of you guys," Jo began in a low tine to keep the boys from hearing, "But breaking into our home in the middle of the night? This is as bad as what the poachers do. They've already been ripped away from their birth parents and now you wanna just go in and rip them away from us, too? I mean, does it look like we think of them as pets?"

"You're right." Dean said, "We shouldn't have done anything before getting all the facts. Which are-?"

 **Gracepoint, Navada**

 **2012**

 _"I'm not so sure about this." Jo said, looking around the convention center where people were buying and selling large cats, eyeing someone holding a tiger cub in their bare hands._

 _Of course, they were there for something a little different._

 _"I mean, what we're about to do goes against everything I believe in, everything you believe in." She reminded her wife, Charlie, who was standing next to her, looking as uncomfortable as Jo felt. While Jo was all for equality, she wasn't what you'd call an activist, Charlie, on the other hand, was, it was one of the things Jo loved about her, that she couldn't do anything with half her heart. And yet, here they both were, about to purchase an intelligent, semi-human being like so much merchandise._

 _"I know, but I'm willing to hold my noise and do this if it means we can start a family." Charlie explained, "It's my fault we can't adopt through normal channels, after all."_

 _Charlie's spotty past with the law, despite the fact that it wasn't violent meant no adoption agency would let them have a child. She had tried to use her hacking skills to cover it up, but that had only raised more eyebrows and they decided to quit before one or both of them got arrested. They almost got a child at one point, but the birth mother changed her mind before the child was born. Just when they were about to give up, their friend Ash came across an online forum for parents who also unable to have or adopt children, bought cat children and raised them as they would a human. After some soul searching they decided it was worth a try. Which is how they wound at a convention center in Navada as the state had no regulation for the selling or ownership of wild animals, and by extension, since that's what they were in the eyes of the law, cat people._

 _"And hey, by doing this, we're saving some helpless child from God-knows-what." Charlie reasoned._

 _Jo supposed she was right. "Alright," She conceded, "Let's get this over with."_

 _They spotted the both with several cages filled with cat people of various ages. Some tried to pace in the cages, other banging on the bars, trying to get free, other were sprawled out, unconscious, some of them were even pleading for help, or for their freedom._

 _Both woman froze for a moment, Jo letting out a gasp, and Charlie wavering for the first time since they made their decision. Then she grabbed Jo's hand and the pair marched over to the both, trying to hid their disgust as a short man in a black suit approached them._

 _"Hello ladies," The man greeted them in a British accent, "I'm Mr. Crowley. Looking for a cat person today?"_

 _"Actually yes," Jo replied, trying to stay amiable, "We were hopping maybe you had some...younger ones."_

 _"Well, as luck would have I rather healthy supply of kittens today." The man replied, leading the couple to a line of cages holding children ages ranging from two to fourteen. Some cowered in the back of their cages as the new comers approach others just sat there, confused about what was going on; other still perked up, seeming almost eager. (Those were the ones bred in captivity and didn't know any different.) Jo's eyes almost immediately went to one in particular; a little boy who couldn't be more than four years old; huddled in the corner, shaking and sobbing from sheer terror._

 _Jo approached the tiny cage and got down on her knees in front of it, and whispered, "Hey."_

 _The little boy's head jolted up at the sound of her voice._

 _"Leave him alone." The boy in the cage next to him piped up._

 _"It's alright." Jo said softly, "I'm not gonna hurt either of you. I' m Jo, and this is my wife, Charlie." She gestured to redhead who was approaching the cage, "What's your name?"_

 _When the little boy didn't answer Jo added, "Well, what about your friend?"_

 _"I'm Dean and that's Sam." The older boy spoke up, "He's my brother."_

 _Jo and Charlie exchanged looks. They had only planed on adopting one child. They had only prepared for one. But they weren't going to separate too brothers, they couldn't. Within a few moments and no out loud communication, the two had come to an decision. "Would you both like to come home with us?" Charlie asked, "We promise to take good care of both of you." After looking back at the salesman she lowered her voice and added, "And you wouldn't have to stay in those cages anymore."_

 _Both boys just wanted to go home, but they knew (at least Dean knew) there was no chance of that happening, and getting out of these cages would be expectable. "Yes." Dean said at last, as Sam nodded._

 _And so, after telling the man which two they wanted, Charlie handed him the money while Jo gathered the boys. She holding Sam in her arms, still trying to soothe him, while Dean clung around her legs looking around for any dangers._

 _"Are you sure you don't at least want leashes and collars?" The man asked, "They're wild caught, both of them. They're too young to be dangerous, but that doesn't mean they won't try to run off." Eying Dean he added, "Especially the older one."_

 _"We'll be fine." Charlie said, "We have our own in the car."_

 _Dean tensed up as Charlie said that. She turned around and winked at the boy, but that only worried him more._

 _"Alright," Jo said as they lead the boys to an blue minivan in the parking lot, "We brought some clothes for you guys, then we're gonna go back to our hotel, okay?" At the moment all the boys were wearing were black boxers and Charlie and Jo's coats._

 _Neither boy responded as Charlie unlock the car and Jo sat Sam inside. Charlie pulled out the duffle bag they had brought and started rummaging for clothes. Since they weren't sure how old the child they adopted would be or what gender they would be, they brought several options. Soon they had Sam in a plain blue t-shirt and jeans, and Dean in green and blue shirt with jeans. They still needed shoes however._

 _"We'll get you some more clothes later." Jo promised._

 _Not paying that statement any heed, Dean asked, "Are you going to put those collar things on us?"_

 _"What?" The woman exclaimed in near unison. "No!"_

 _"Why would you..." Jo began, but then remembered what Charlie had said._

 _So did the young hacker. "Look, I only said that to get that...man off our backs." She explained, "You're not pets. You are members of our family."_

 _"But we already have a family." Dean protested softly._

 _"I know." Jo said, pulling him into a hug, "And I wish we should give you back to them, but the best we can do is take care of you and love like you were our own."_

 _By the time they got back to the hotel everyone was exhausted. So after sneaking them in and getting some food in them, they tucked the boys into the bed, which thankfully was big enough to hold both of them, as again, they only expected to leave with one child. "I don't know if either of you want it, but," Charlie began, pulling something from her suitcase and walking back over to the bed, "I brought you guys something." She held out a snuffed monkey toy for them to see, "This was mine when I was kid and I brought it with us, in case...maybe you guys would want it." After a minute she added, "Sorry, I don't have something for each of you, it's just...we hadn't..."_

 _"It's alright." Dean cut her off, "Sam can have it, I don't mind."_

 _Charlie let out a sigh of relief. "Has anybody ever told you how great you are?"_

 _"Thanks..." Dean's voice trailed off, wondering what to call her._

 _"Charlie will work for now." She said, as she handed the monkey to Sam, who despite having no concept of what a toy was, instantly took to the soft cuddly object. After he settled back down into bed squished up against his new plaything, Charlie kissed both boys on the forehead and Jo repeated the action. "Goodnight, boys."_

 _"Good night," Dean replied to their new guardians and Sam mumbled, "G' night," Already almost asleep for the first time since their capture a few days before._

 _The women were awoken in the night by the sound of screaming._

 _They shot upright and found Dean struggling in bed going, "No, no! Help! Somebody please, help!" Sam was sitting up beside him, with no idea how to help his brother._

 _Immediately both women jumped from their bed and rushed over to the boys. "Dean," Jo said, shaking the boy, "Dean, honey, you gotta wake up!"_

 _Dean eyes opened and he looked around, scared and confused._

 _"It's alright." Jo said, "You were just having a nightmare."_

 _Still out it, no really comprehending what she had said, Dean said weakly, "I want my mom."_

 _Jo pulled Dean into a hug as the poor broke down, saying, " I know. Ssssh. It's alright, it's all gonna be alright..."_

 **Last Chance Colorado**

 **A Week Later**

 _"Mom!" Jo called out, walking into the bar her mother owned, followed by Charlie and they boys, "Are you here?"_

 _Ellen Harvelle came out from the kitchen at the sound of her daughter's voice. It was the middle of the day, so apart from them and the guy sleeping on the pool table it the place was deserted. That didn't mean there wasn't work to be done. "Hey, sweetie," Ellen said, sitting a crate down the counter, "Charlie." Then she eyed the two boys hiding behind Charlie's legs, "And you two must be Sam and Dean."_

 _They paired tried to squeeze even more out of view, Sam clinging to the monkey that had been his contestant companion for the last seven days._

 _"It's alright," Jo assured them, "This is my mother, Ellen."_

 _Ellen walked over to the little family and crouched down so that she was as tall as Dean was. "I'm very pleased to meet you." She gently, and when they showed no signs of coming out added, "Come on, I don't bite."_

 _Dean pulled away somewhat from Charlie's leg. "Nice to meet you two, ma'am."_

 _"You can call me, Ellen," She told him, "Seeing as we're family now." Though if she was being honest, when her daughter and daughter-in-law had told her what they were planning, she hadn't been so sure about the idea._

 _However, as the visit went on, Ellen couldn't help but see there was little difference, if any between them and human children. Sure, they were standoffish, but that was only because they were surrounded strange people in a strange place, separated from their parents and everything they had never knew, it was to be expected. It was a miracle they hadn't shut down completely._

 _"So, how are they adjusting," Ellen asked, as the four adults gathered around a table in the bar, "Exactly?"_

 _Jo replied, " They're both still having nightmares, but at least they're not scared of us anymore. Just everyone else. Of course it could be worst; I found someone online who adopted their kid two years ago and she still wets the bed."_

 _"Actually..." Charlie began softly._

 _"What?" Jo asked, "Did something happen?"_

 _Charlie looked over to where to kids were at. Sam was taking a nap on one of the tables, and Dean was a few feet away, not paying attention to their conversation. Turning back to the group and lowering her voice, she said, "Sam wet the bed last night."_

 _"Where was I when this happened?" Jo asked._

 _"Probably getting ready to go." Charlie said, "I didn't find out about until this morning when I went to get the boys up. They were both sleeping in Dean's bed and Sam wasn't wearing any pants. Apparently he was embarrassed and didn't want anyone to know and practically begged me not to tell anyone, so I cleaned him and the bed up and kept my mouth shut."_

 _"Babe," Jo exclaimed, "Why didn't you tell me? You have to keep me up on things like this. Has-has this happened before?"_

 _"No, " Charlie replied, "This is the first time. So, what do you wanna do?"_

 _"Well, do you know why he wet the bed?" Jo asked, "Was it another nightmare, or-"_

 _"I don't know." Charlie admitted, "I was too busy with the cover-up." After a beat she added,  
"We're already terrible parents, aren't we?"_

 _"No." Ellen interjected, "You're just trying to figure things out. Now, I don't know if you want my advice, but I would talk to him about it, see if it happens again then work from there."_

 _"Thanks, Mom." Jo replied._

 _Latter on Ellen was doing some work at the bar, stacking up some bottles, when she felt a presence behind her. She turned around and saw Sam staring at her. "Hey, Sweetie," She said, "Um, where's your brother?"_

 _"Talking to Mr. Ash," He answered gesturing over to the table where the pair was at the computer. Ellen hopped whatever they were looking at was appropriate for children._

 _"When are Jo and Charlie coming back?" Ellen asked._

 _"I'm not sure, Sammy," Ellen answered, "Jo's running a quick errand for me, but Charlie's was a work thing, so who knows how long that'll take."_

 _"Oh," Sam said, "What are you doing?"_

 _"Just-organizing some bottles." Elle answered going back to her work._

 _"Can I help?" Sam asked._

 _"Sure," Sam said, pulling up a stool for him to stand on._

 _Ellen couldn't help put small at the odd pleasure Sam took from the task as they completed it. Soon, Dean got curious and walked up to them. "What are you doing?"_

 _"Stacking bottles." Sam answered, putting a bottle on the stack._

 _"Can I help?" Dean asked._

 _"The more the merrier," Ellen replied._

 _A few minutes later Jo came back with the bag of pretzels they needed but didn't make her presence known when she saw what they were doing, just happy they were bonding._

 **Children's Park, Nebraska**

 **Two Months Later**

 _"Okay, this is it," Jo coming a bench in the park, "Go play while we wait for the others to get here."_

 _The boys ran over to the playground and got on the swings._

 _After they had got everything together, Jo and Charlie had began home-schooling the boys. Sam was learning basic reading and math. Dean was learning that as well as writhing and science, since he was a bit older. While searching the forums for the best ways of teaching them, they arranged a play date with another home school mother online._

 _"So, do you have any idea what this woman looks like?" Charlie asked._

 _"No," Jo admitted, "She sent a picture, but it was blurry. I'm guessing she'll be the one with a cat-girl, and human boy walking by her."_

 _Just then they heard someone clearing their throat behind them. They turned to see a dark-haired woman in a police uniform standing next to them. "Those, uh, your boys over there?" She asked, pointing to Sam and Dean on the swing set._

 _"We got collars on them." Jo protested, "We're within the oridence."_

 _Despite their desire for the boys to not have to wear them, the law required domestic cat people to wear them, so they got a pair that the boys only wore outside. The minute they were inside the damn things came off. Jo didn't want some busy-body cop hassling them for simply being in the park._

 _The officer smiled. "Relax," She said, "You're secret's safe with me." Then she stepped back a little, revealing a beautiful cat-girl the same age as Sam with long dark hair, and an older boy, maybe a bit younger than Dean, next to the girl._

 _"Oh," Jo said, standing up, "You must be Jody. I'm Jo, and this is my wife Charlie."_

 _"Nice to meet you." Jody replied, shaking both woman's hand, "This is Alex, and her brother, Owen."_

 _"Nice to meet you, too." Jo said, then called out, "Boys, could you come over here for a minute?!"_

 _The boys came running up to their foster mothers, then eyed the three strangers._

 _"This is Alex, and Owen." Jo said, gesturing to the girl, "And this is their mother, Jody." She looked at the woman to see if this was the right designation, and she nodded, "Alex, Owen Jody, these are our boys, Dean and Sam."_

 _"Hi," Dean said._

 _"Hello." Sam added._

 _"Hey," Owen said back._

 _"Alex, say hello." Jodie encouraged the girl, who seemed rather aprensive._

 _"Hi," The girl said shyly._

 _"You wanna play?" Sam asked._

 _Alex looked over at the playground._

 _"It's alright, honey," Jody encouraged, "Go."_

 _They ran off with the boys and soon they were playing together like they had been friends for years._

 _"You can't believe how happy I am this worked out," Jodie told the couple, "Alex is usually so shy."_

 _"To be honest, I was kinda worried, too," Charlie said, "But mainly because our oldest is well, so much-older."_

 _"It's only a four-year age difference," Jo reminded them, " And Owen is almost Dean's age. Though, Jodie, can I ask you something?"_

 _"Shoot." Jodie replied._

 _"Why did you choose-this method of adoption?" Jo asked, "Especially when you already have a child, so we know that wasn't the problem."_

 _"Well, actually," Jody began, "I didn't. Chose it, I mean. Alex was given to me by a-a well meaning friend for my birthday a couple of years ago. I had never actually wanted a cat-person, but there was this tiny two-year-old looking up at me with these wide eyes, what was I gonna do? Send her back to the breeders? And then after spending some time with her...I just couldn't raise her like a mere animal, you know what I mean?"_

 _"Yeah," Jo said, looking at the children, "I know."_

 **Resurrection, Nebraska**

 **Three Years Later**

 _"Where did you even get champagne?" Charlie asked, before taking a sip from the glass._

 _"Same place you get most alcohol," Jo replied, sitting down on the couch, "Liquor store."_

 _"Okay," Charlie replied, deciding to go with it, "Then what's the special occasion?"_

 _"Why do we need to have one?" Jo asked, "Can't I just want to have a romantic evening with my wife?"_

 _"Alright," Charlie conceding smiling, "I think I can go along with that."_

 _However before things could go any further they heard Sam called out, "Mama Jo! Ma Charlie! Hel-"_

 _Both of them jumped up immediately, only taking the time it took to grab the gun from underneath the floor board and ran towards the boys' room. When they got there they found to their horror, two strangers one of who was attacking Sam._

 _"Whoa, there." The one attacking their son said, raising his hands in the air, "I know how this might look, but there is an explanation for all of this."_

 **Resurrection Nebraska**

 **Right Now.**

"So, are we gonna have any more trouble out of you people?" Jo asked.

"No." Dean said firmly, "No, no, no. Now that you've explained everything we see the error of our ways, these kids are clearly good here, and we would never again try to snatch them from this loving home, and we will alert everyone else to this development. Now, if we could just get our duffle bag we will be on our way."

"I'll go get." Jo replied tersely, "You two stay here. And remember, I still have this." She held up her rifle before leaving the room. A few seconds later she came back with the bag and threw it in Dean's lap.

"How are they?" Sam asked as they stood up, "We really didn't mean to scare them like that."

"Yeah, well they're still a little freaked out," Jo said, going to door, "They're both clinging to Charlie for dear life, but they should be okay. Those are two are surprisingly resilient." She swung the door open and gestured into the apartment complex hallway saying, "Now get out of here before I change my mind and call the cops."

The two quickly ran out of the apartment. "Again, we're really sorry about all this." Sam said, as the door shut in their face. As soon as she did they pulled out the bowel and put the spell together. This time it was Dean who read, 'Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

Wind suddenly filled the hallway and soon they were both engulfed in the now all too familiar bright white light.

Meanwhile back in the apartment, Charlie had just come out of the boys' room, holding Sam, and Dean clinging to her leg. "They're calmed down but they want to sleep with us tonight."

"Sure." Jo replied walking towards them, smiling a little, "Someone breaking into your home is kinda a mood killer anyway."


	63. Who Is In Control?

**AN: Thanks to Guest # 5 for this request.**

 **This AU turned out notably darker than my usual stuff. So dark I felt the need to put a warning. Keep that in mind when proceeding.**

This time when the light cleared they were almost in complete darkness. From what they could tell they were in some sort of abandoned building as they could smell the rot and Dean thought he could make out peeling on the walls. Suddenly they heard screaming from the other room.

They peaked out the door and found to their other shock, Dean holding a terrified girl with a knife to her throat. "Walk away or the girl dies." He warned someone they couldn't see.

A shot rang out, hitting the girl in the stomach, and she quickly bled out. Dean looked at whoever fired the shot in shock.

"There goes your leverage." Sam's voice said coolly.


	64. Whoever Fights Monsters

Sam and Dean just stared in shock at what they had just witness. Sam just shot an innocent woman. Who Dean was holding hostage. What was happening here? Was Sam soulless? Was Dean a demon? Was Sam soulless and Dean a demon at the same time?

The killer Dean outside dropped the poor young woman's body to the ground. "Killing an innocent woman," He said, a sadistic smirk on his face, "And just when I thought you couldn't sink any lower in this crusade of yours."

"Don't act so high and mighty," Sam seethed back, "Compare to what you were going to do to her that was a mercy killing."

"That's how you justify it?" Dean taunted him, "What is they say about he who fights monsters...?"

"I'm starting to think Nietzsche was being an optimist," Sam replied, "Maybe there was always a monster inside me, just waiting to come out. I mean, I'm related to you, aren't I? A sociopath who's left a trail of bodies across the U.S., including his own father. Hell, if it wasn't sheer luck, and a pocket dial, you would've killed me, too."

Dean chuckled. "Who says pretty little Jess was the consolation prize?"

 **Palo Alto, California**

 **2005**

 _It all started when Sam's cell phone rang in the middle of the night._

 _Hazy from being woken up from a deep sleep he opened the phone and immediately woke up when he saw the caller ID. It was his Dad._

 _Sam hadn't been on good terms with his father for years, not since he was fifteen and the former had locked his nineteen-year-old brother Dean in the attic with no explanation. Any attempts Sam made to rescue Dean or alert others to the situation his dad somehow trawted. In fact, he tried to keep Sam away from Dean altogether. It was also around that time he started getting secretive and standoffish. By the time Sam left for collage the two were practically not speaking to each other._

 _Of that was before Sam knew about the time all the knives in the house went missing and John found Dean had placed them around Sam's bed. Before he knew about the animals. About the girls._

 _Concerned, Sam picked up the phone. "Dad?"_

 _Instead of coherent response, all Sam could hear was the clamoring of some sort of scuffle, John saying, "De-think-" more noise masking most of what was said, "Don't-" and then screaming. "Dad!" Sam shouted, before the line went dead._

 _That was what woke his live-in girlfriend, Jessica up. "What's going on?" She asked as Sam jumped from the bed and started pulling the first clothes he found on._

 _"I think my dad's in trouble," Sam explained, throwing a blue over-shirt over charcoal-colored t-shirt he had worn to bed, "I just got this call from him, I think it might have been an accident, and-he was screaming."_

 _"I'm calling the cops." Jess declared going for the land line._

 _"What good would that do?" Sam snapped as stepped into his shoes, "He's halfway across the country!"_

 _Jess shot him a 'don't get fresh with me' look._

 _"I'm sorry." Sam said, "You call the cops, see what they can do, I'm gonna try to get there as fast as I can."_

 _And with that he was out the door._

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **A Day And A Half Later**

 _Sam pulled in the driveway, stressed out, half-starved, and sleep deprived but he jumped out of the car anyway, running on adrliene. He ran up to door and knocked, starting to call out for his father, but to his surprise the door opened a bit. Opening it the rest of the way he found to his horror the living room had been completely ransacked. The chair had been turned over, as had the couch, which was crushing the coffee table, and there a whole in the TV screen, as if someone had punched it._

 _"Dad!" He called out running through the house, pulling a knife out from his pocket. Around the same time as John locked Dean up he given Sam in basic weapons training , "just in case,'' in case of what Sam was never sure._

 _Sam crept into kitchen and dropped his knife to the ground in shock. Lying behind the table that had been flipped over, was his father's dead body. There were knives nailing his hands to the floor as if some sort of blasphemous crucifixion, there were also knives sticking out of other seemingly random places, from his arms, from stomach, from one of his legs. He was covered in cuts and his other leg jutted out at an unnatural angle. John Winchester's last hours were spent in utter torment._

 _Snapping out of it, Sam got out his cell phone and dialed 911._

 _"Is there anyone one you would think of that would want to hurt your father?" The female detective interviewing Sam asked._

 _"No," Sam replied, "I mean, he wasn't the easiest person to be around, but not so much anyone would want to do this. Not even-"_

 _"Your brother?" The detective finished._

 _Sam had finally got to tell the police about Dean. When Sam looked for him he hadn't been in the house, and it looked like had broken out of the attic. Now he was the police's prime suspect._

 _"He wouldn't do this." Sam said, "No matter what Dad's done, Dean just doesn't have it in the to do something like this."_

 _"Sam," The detective began, gently, "Can I call you Sam?"_

 _"Sure." Sam replied._

 _"Sam," She began again, "Your brother spent seven years in near-total isolation, it's enough to cause anyone to snap. You have to be prepared for the possibility that might be what happened here."_

 _Sam paused for a minute, contemplating the possibility. "If that is what happened, what's gonna happen to him?"_

 _"I honestly can't say, for sure," The detective replied, "Best case sanerio they lock him up in a metal institution for the rest of life."_

 _Sam shuttered. He couldn't help but feel this was in part his fault. If only he got Dean help sooner, maybe this wouldn't have happened._

 _Just then a male detective came down, holding a VHS tape in his hands. "Have you see this before, Mr. Winchester?" He held out the video for Sam to see. It read_ To Be Read If I Die Under Suspicious Circumstances. _"We found this under your father's bed."_

 _"I've never seen that before in my life." Sam answered._

 _"Well, I'd call being stabbed with a half a dozen knives suspicious." The detective that had been talking to Sam said._

 _And so they put the tape in, and immediately, an imagine of John Winchester, several years younger than he had been when he died, sitting in the living room._

 _"My name is John Edward Winchester," He said into the camera, "If you're watching this, then I'm dead, most likely murdered. And if it is- murder-then I know who did it."_

 _Everyone's ears perked up._

 _"To explain what happened we need to back up a bit," John continued on the screen, "Ever since he was kid, my oldest son, Dean was a little-odd, but one day when he was nine, all the knives in the house went missing. At first I was just frustrated, then I was where they were. My younger son was asleep in his bed, and the knives were all in circle around his bed, and Dean was just staring at him with a look on his face, I don't even know how to describe it."_

 _Everyone turned to look at Sam, but he could give them no answer. He had no recollection of this incident._

 _"If you ask Sam about this he'll have no idea what I'm talking about." John said, as if reading their minds, "He slept through the whole thing and he was pretty young anyway. After that I took Dean to a therapist. He said that he showed signs of antisocial behavior, but there was a wide range of disorders that behavior could be indicative of, but he couldn't be sure what yet. So, I kept sending him, and eventually the therapist told me Dean_ could _be showing signs of being a Sociopath, only apparently due to the fact that their brains are still developing they're not allowed to label them as Sociopaths. At the time I thought that meant Dean had chance of growing out of it. Then when Sam was ten I got him get this puppy, Bones, because I thought he was old enough to take responsibility for it. "_

 _"Is this going where I think it's going?" The male detective spoke up._

 _"One day I heard whimpering from the basement," John continued on screen, "Dean had Bones pinned down and he was holding a knife. Now, he hadn't done anything yet, but I knew what he was going to do. After that, he didn't touch Bones again, but animals started going missing around the neighborhood, and I found a couple of bodies, squirrels, dogs, even a snake once, but I couldn't prove it was him. I mean ,what was going to tell the police, I think my son was going to do something bad to family dog and I think he got smarter and is now hurting animals that can't be traced to him? And then around the time he turned nineteen, two girls went missing."_

 _Sam's heart stopped as it all clicked together in mind. He actually remembered those girls. Tracy Lawson and Greta Chase. There had been a huge search for them, Dean had even helped. It was also around the time John had locked Dean in the attic._

 _"I knew what had happened, but again, I couldn't prove it, so I did the only thing I could think of." John said, "One night, I drugged Dean so he wouldn't wake up, took him into the basement and locked him in. I've been able to keep him upstairs ever since. Sam, he doesn't understand why I'm doing this and I can't explain it to him, but if it keeps him and everyone else alive, I can live him hating me. A mistake was made somewhere along the way with Dean, I don't know if it was mine, or God's or someone else's, but it can't be undone, or at least, I don't know how to undo it. I hope to God no one ever has to see this video, but if someone is that means Dean's got out, and he's doing God knows what and that means whoever's watching this needs to do what I couldn't. They need to put him down before he hurts anyone else."_

 **Pala Alto, California'**

 **A Few Moments Later**

 _Jess was staring at the phone waiting for Sam to update her on the situation when the there was knock at the door. "Seriously?" She thought aloud, "Now?" Then she went to the door and looked through the peephole in saw a light-haired man in mid-twenties that she had never seen before._

 _"Who is it?" She asked._

 _"It's Dean," The young man answered, "I'm Sam's brother. I was in the neighborhood and he asked me to come check on you."_

 _"Oh." She said, looking in the peep hole again. She had never actually met Dean and for some reason Sam had no pictures of him after age eighteen. In fact, Sam was usually cagey about his family in general. In the end he did look like the boy from the pictures so she opened up the door saying, "Come in, set down."_

 _Dean did, as she asked, "So, ah, what's going on with your dad?"_

 _"That's ah, complicated." Dean replied._

 _"Well, is he okay?" Jess asked._

 _Before Dean could answer, the phone rang._

 _"Hold on a second, that might be Sam." She said, running to get it. Turning back on Dean, she answered the phone. "Hello?"_

 _"Hey, Jess," Sam said, sounding the worst for wear, "It's good to hear your voice."_

 _"Baby, what's wrong?" Jess asked, immediately recognizing something was not right._

 _"My dad's dead," Sam replied, barely holding it together._

 _"What?" Jess gaped, looking back at Dean briefly, "How?"_

 _"Murder," Sam said, swallowing, "They think Dean did it. They found this tape Dad made and he says he think he might have killed these girls from a few years back..." Sam's voice trailed off, still out of it with grief and confusion._

 _Jessica put her mouth over her hand, turned away from Dean and whispered, "Sam, Dean's with me right now."_

 _Sam's heart froze. "What?"_

 _"He said you sent him." Jess whispered, fear penetrating her voice._

 _"Okay, make an excuse to leave, get out of the house, I'll get you help." Sam replied._

 _"Okay," Jess said louder, trying to play it cool, "Love you." Then she looked over at Dean and started heading towards the door, "Sam reminded me, there was something I needed to get, so I'll just be a few minutes..."_

 _"Oh, I think we both know that's not what he told you," Dean said, getting up and walking towards her._

 _"W-What does that mean?" Jess asked, still trying to play dumb, not noticing when Dean was herding her._

 _"I mean that I think Sam went home, and I think Sam found Dad, and I think they figured out it was me." Dean said, taking a step toward her with every word forcing her to step back until she was literally in a corner._

 _"Please," Jess begged, realizing she was trapped, "Just let me go. I won't tell anyone you were here, I promise."_

 _"I think we're a little past that," Dean said coldly, reaching out and grabbing Jess by her hair._

 _All she could was scream and try to fight as he dragged her away._

 **Pala Alto, California**

 **Two Days Later**

 _"I should warn you," The officer said as they walked Sam into the morgue, "There was extensive damage. It could be more than a bit of shock."_

 _"Just please, show me." Sam breathed, trying to brace himself for the worst._

 _By the time Pala Alto police had arrived as their apartment, both Dean and Jess was gone. It was believed that he had taken her alive, so Sam had tried to keep hope that she was still alright, that they could find her before any physical harm could come to her. Then they found a body matching her description, and asked him to come in to indentify it._

 _The corner pulled the sheet back revealing the body's face and let out a gasp, immediately recognizing the his girlfriend. "That's her."_

 _"I'm sorry for your lost," The officer replied, sincerely meaning it. He would never get use to this part of the job._

 _"Did-" Sam began, very shaky, "Did she suffer?" All Sam could see in his mind was his father's body. If Dean could do that to his father, what could he do to Jess? Her face was cut up, and they had the rest of her body covered up, why was the rest of her body covered up?_

 _"Mr. Winchester, there are some things people are better off not knowing." The officer replied._

 _In Sam's mind that was code for yes. Dean had done unspeakable things to Jessica before taking her life and throwing her in a ditch like garbage._

 _When Sam got to the hotel he slide against the door, finally breaking down into tears. The love of his life was gone, and so was his father, who in spite of everything, he did love. By a monster who he thought he knew. Suddenly he grief combined with white hot range and he let up and threw an end table across the room. "Dean!" He screamed in anger, as if he could somehow summon his brother there and kill him. He punched the TV screen and tossed the whole thing over then turned over the bed. It was then he saw it; the gun he had sneaked into the room with him in case Dean showed up._

 _Suddenly he knew what had to be done. He needed find Dean and put him down. And that was exactly what he was going to do._

 **St. Louis Missouri**

 **Two Weeks Later**

 _Sam burst through just in time to see the hear the back door slam. He started running to catch up when heard muffled mewl. He then eyed the girl, beaten, bloodied and bound, but alive. While he might not had gotten them in time to catch Dean, he got there in time to save the girl._

 _"Hey," He said gently, approaching her, "It's alright, I'm not gonna hurt you." He removed the gagged, "What's your name?"_

 _"Becca," The girl answered weakly._

 _"Well, Becca," Sam said, cutting her bonds, "I'm gonna need you call the police while I go after the guy who did this to you. Can you do that for me?"_

 _Becca nodded._

 _"Good." Sam said, finishing freeing her and heading out the door._

 _He rushed into the backyard, franticly looking around for any sign of his brother. Nothing. He had gotten away again!_

 **Gary Indiana**

 **Two Years Later**

 _"Please, stop!" The man pleaded as Sam cut him deeply in the arm._

 _"I'll stop when you tell me what I wanna know." Sam said coldly._

 _Sam had found fence who according to the criminals he worked with, would buy anything shiny no questions asked. Even if it was stolen from murder victims._

 _"He doesn't tell me anything!" The fence shouted, "I didn't even know his name until you came in here."_

 _Sam huffed. "You expect me to believe that? Dean's mug has been all over the news for years."_

 _"Okay, maybe I didn't wanna know," The man admitted, "But I still don't know where he is!"_

 _"I don't believe you," Sam said, going back over to the table where he had laid out an assortment of torture implements, and picking up a meat tenderizer._

 **Pickled Boots, Wyoming**

 **Three Years Later**

 _Sam kicked down the door, ready to finally finish this. To his disappointment, it was not Dean, but some other psycho who had a couple of terrified kids pinned in the corner. Still he raised his gun and shot this human monster in the back causing him to fall to the ground dead as the children screamed._

 _Then he turned around and just walked away, leaving the children to an uncertain fate._

 **Serenity Michigan**

 **Present Day**

 _Sam looked in the trunk of the most recent car Dean had stolen, noting a bit of blood in it. That probably meant he had found a new play thing. Filing that away, he crept into the building._

 _When he entered the building, he heard female voice, screaming, "Help!" The sound of two people struggling, and Dean shouting, "You just have to make this harder on yourself, don't you?!"_

 _"Lost control of this one, didn't you Dean?" Sam asked, no emotion in voice as he topped the stairs. He found Dean standing over a girl with her arms pinned behind her back, a suddenly look of hope on her face. Then Dean forced her to her feet, putting knife to her throat, saying, "Good to see you again, little brother."_

 _"Wish I could say the same." Sam said, leveling his gun at Dean. He imagined this day a thousand times in his head. He thought it would feel different, better. Maybe he'd feel angry. Hell, maybe even a little sad. Instead Sam couldn't feel anything at all._

 _Dean took a few steps back into the room, causing the girl to scream. He knew that this could very well end in his death. "Walk away for the girl dies."_

 _At that moment, Sam didn't see a girl, a person, just an obstacle in the way of his life's mission. Not thinking twice he shot her in the stomach._

 _Apparently Dean was unaware of how far Sam had fallen, as he just starred at the other man in shock._

 _"There goes your leverage._

 **Serenity, Michigan**

 **Right Now**

"It hardly matters now." Sam replied, "Not when it's all about to end."

"Well come on then," Dean said, stretching his arms out on either of side, "Hit me with your best shot."

As Sam pulled on the trigger, Dean went for his gun, but was two slow and suddenly felt a horrid pain in his kneecap where Sam had shot him. Then he shot him in the stomach, causing him to fall to the ground. Then Sam walked over to him, so he could see him when he did it, leveled his gun and shot Dean in the head, finally killing him. Then he put the gun under his own chin.

Seeing where this was going, and snapping out of their shock, the Sam and Dean and the other room shut the door, before they could watch the younger Winchester die, but still heard the gun shot.

"Well that was -extremely disturbing." Dean finally said, "Like, tied with the one where we were in a romantic relationship, which is, quite an accomplishment. Well, maybe it's a tie."

"Yeah, the sooner we get out of this one the better." Sam said, starting to prepare the spell.

Feeling some movement in his body, Dean requested, "Ah, can hold off on the for minute, I kinda...have to...I have to go."

"Seriously?" Sam explained, " _Now_ of all times?!"

"I can't exactly control it, " Dean snapped.

"Just-" Sam began, "Go do it in the corner while I get the spell done."

By the time spell finished the spell Dean had done his business and walked back over to him. He opened the book and read: 'Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

As the wind did it thing, the Winchesters were glad to see the back of this universe.


	65. This Should Be Less Surprising

This time when they came to they were lying on an almost perfectly manicured lawn staring up at a medium-sized white house. The front door started to open, and the Winchesters quickly got to their feet, running to the side of the house. They couldn't see who came to the door, but they heard it when they shut.

A few seconds later they saw a group of four teens come down the sidewalk: One a boy of about seven teen with light brown hair wearing a slightly too big leather jacket, on one side of him was a smaller boy of about thirteen, with similar hair color and dark eyes, holding the hand of a girl the same age as him with her dark hair held back in sparkling red hair clip, and eyes that matched her hair. On the other side of the seventeen-year-old was another seventeen-year-old boy with dark hair, and pale skim with made the fresh black eye on his face very apparent.

"It's gonna be fine," The light-haired seventeen-year-old, who they guessed was Dean soothed his darker hair companion, "Well, tell your parents what happened and let the adults handle it."

"Aren't you the one who says only bitches tell the adults?" The dark haired boy asked.

"These are special circumstances," Dean replied, "We've tried all other options including kicking this guy's ass."

"Language," The younger boy, who they assumed was Sam, chided him.

"Who are you, Mom?" Dean asked.

The four turned at the house's walkway and walked up to the porch. As Dean search for his keys, the door opened. "Hey Mom?" Dean said, "Can we all talk?"


	66. Everything And More

**AN: I forgot to put it last week, but thanks to Guest # 5 and Guest for the ideas that lead to this AU. I hope you don't mind me combining them, inspiration just sort of hit me.**

"We know," Mary Winchester's voice said calmly, "The school called. Bobby and Karen are already here."

The dark hair-boy shuttered a little.

"It's alright, sweetie," Mary assured him, "We know you're victim here. Come on in."

The band went into the house and out of adult Sam and Dean's view. In spite of themselves they went to the windows to find some place to peak in. They finally managed to and found a rather large group in the living room: The teens, Mary, John, Bobby, and perhaps most surprisingly of all, Bobby's wife Karen.

"What the Hell?" Dean balked, "They didn't even live in the same state."

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **1983**

 _Mary started to stir at the sound of the baby monitor. She turned on the light on the nightstand. "John?" Mary turned and found she was alone, so she got up to check on the baby._

 _Mary walked down the hall to Sam's nursery. The infant was alone, failing his arms._

 _"Hey, Sammy," Mary said, picking him up, "What's wrong?"_

 _In response, Sam grabbed a strand of her hair._

 _"Oh, I see." Mary hummed, "You just missed me, hun?"_

 _Sam cooed in response and Mary chuckled a little pressing a kiss to his forehead, "You know...if you slept a few more hours you would have gotten to see me just the same."_

 **Sioux Falls South Dakota**

 **1984**

 _John got out of the car and looked at the scrap yard, scanning its front for any sign of life. The owner was suppose to meet him there to give him the part Mike sent him to get._

 _Suddenly the door swung open revealing a shorter, bearded man in a baseball cap. "You the guy who called about the engine?" He asked coming down the walkway._

 _"Yes," He answered, "John Winchester."_

 _"Bobby Singer," The man said, shaking John's hand, "Now, you said on the phone you wanted to see about the engine."_

 _The engine was the most beautiful thing John had ever seen. Of course, that might have something to do with the Hell he and Mike had gone through trying to find one to replace the one that had blown in a client's classic car. Hence the reason he had drove all the way to South Dakota to get it._

 _"You okay there, Mr. Winchester?" Bobby asked, concerned by John's silence, and the look on his face._

 _"Yeah," John said, snapping back to reality, "I just- can't believe it's actually here, and in such good condition."_

 _"As wrecked as that car was, I couldn't believe it either," Bobby admitted, "Now, ah, on the matter of payment?"_

 _"Right," John said, taking out his wallet and beginning to write the check. It was then that Bobby noticed the picture of sandy-haired boy of about five holding a lunchbox. "That, uh, your son?" He asked._

 _Realizing what Bobby was referring to, John replied, "Yeah. Yeah, that's my oldest son, Dean, he, um, just started Kindergarten. You, ah, you got any kids?"_

 _"Me and my wife started trying a few years ago," Bobby admitted, " Honestly I think we might have waited too long."_

 _And just like that, the pair were talking like old friends. They spent so long talking John was actually late getting back on the road._

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **1987**

 _"Thanks again for the help, John." Bobby said, sitting down a box in his new office. He had been having so much business in the Kansas not just from John's shop, but other sources as well, that he saw the need to expand his scrap business to the area._

 _"Don't mention it." John replied, carrying another box in. John was the only person Bobby knew in the area. In fact, Bobby didn't have many friends at all, but for some reason he considered John one of them._

 _Just then an underweight eight-year-old came thought the door, dragging a box too big for him to carry on his own._

 _"Boy, what are you doing?" Bobby asked, going over to help him with the box._

 _"I was trying to help." The boy said softly._

 _"I know," Bobby said, taking the box, "But next time you pick up a box that big ask me, or Karen, or Mr. Winchester for help."_

 _"Okay, Mr. Singer." The boy replied._

 _"I told you call me Bobby." He replied._

 _"Okay, Mr. Bobby." The boy repeated, before heading back to the tuck._

 _After years of trying Bobby and Karen had applied to be foster parents. The month before, they got Castiel, who had been in foster care since birth, and the child was still very awkward around them._

 _"So, Bobby," John began good naturedly, "How's fatherhood treating you?" Despite the warm tone John was also a bit concerned as he knew a little bit about why he they had waited so long to try for kids._

 _"We're.. we're working on it." Was all Bobby said._

 **Lawrence Kansas**

 **Present Day**

"Well, I guessed it worked out that still somehow met." Sam said.

Just then people started talking inside. "Just tell us what happened, honey," Karen said, "Starting who did that to you." She pointed to her son's black eye.

"It all started about a month ago," The boy began.

 **Lawrence Kansas**

 **Present Day**

 _Dean was making out with one of the cheerleaders when there was a knock at the door. "Five more minutes, Jerry." He called out._

 _"It's not Jerry." A young voice called out._

 _Dean sighed, recognizing the voice. "Come on, Sam."_

 _"Dean, I'm not just gonna stand out here and wait on you while you make out with whoever you're making out with in there." Sam argued._

 _"Well, go hang out with Eileen or some of your other little friends." Dean replied._

 _"Little friends?" Dean responded, not amused, "Really?"_

 _Realizing he had blew it he told the girl, "I'm sorry, I have to go, but can we come back to this tomorrow?" It was moments like this Dean really wished their junior and senior high schools weren't in the same building._

 _"Sure," The girl said, already opening the door. The pair slid out and were greeted to a thirteen-year-old with a vague reselemce to Dean, his arms folded._

 _"Good to see you Dean," The girl said, slipping away, "You, too Sam." Then she hurried down the hallway._

 _Dean sighed again. "Really, Sam?" He said, "You couldn't have given me a few more minutes? Since when are you egger to get out of school, anyway?"_

 _Just then there was a commotion from a nearby bathroom and then a voice called out, "Stop! Leave me alone!"_

 _Recognizing the voice, Dean rushed towards the bathroom, Sam fallowing close behind. Dean burst through the bath room store and found a sinewy boy with almost shaved light brown hair, standing over Castiel, who was sprawl on the ground._

 _"Hey!" Dean shouted, pulling the boy off of Cas and punching him in the face, "Leave him alone!"_

 _"So , you're his knight and shining armor now," The bully mocked._

 _Dean was about to punch him again, then noticed Cas on the ground and let the other boy drop, and turned on his attention to his friend. "You alright?" He asked, helping him to his feet._

 _"I think so," Cas replied, as the three fled from the bathroom._

 _"What did you to put yourself in Alastiar Rosen's cross-hairs?" Dean asked as they run down the hall._

 _" I don't know," Castiel said looking back to make sure they weren't be followed, "He just came in the bath room and started hassling me and then-well, I think you saw."_

 _"Yeah," Dean said, "Yeah, we did."_

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **Two Days Later**

 _Castiel and Dean were sitting together at launch when Alastiar came walking over to their table with about six of his friends. That was the way Alastiar usually operated, working with a gang of loyal followers. What happened in the bathroom-actually taking a victim on by himself-was an anomaly._

 _"Just keep calm." Dean whispered, "Maybe he's already moved on."_

 _However that was not the case. The heard stopped at their table and before anyone could stop him Alastiar had reach out a flipped Cas' tray onto the floor. As he got up to clean it up, Alastiar snorted, "Oh, please, I think you can afford to miss a meal or two."_

 _"Okay, not only is that cruel, it doesn't make any sense." Dean interjected, going over to help Cas clean up the food, "There's hardly any meat on him."_

 _"Fake parents not feeding you enough, foster freak?" Alastiar tore into Cas, "Is that it?"_

 _As he noticed tears welling up in Castiel's eyes, Dean snapped a little. "You know what," He said jumping to his feet, "I've had just about enough out of you, Rosen."_

 _"What are you gonna do about it, Winchester?" Rosen challenged._

 _Just then a teacher noticed what was going on. "Hey!" He called out, starting towards them, "You two!"_

 _Alastiar and his gang scattered._

 _"Come on, Cas," Dean said, "You can share my launch."_

 **Lawrence, Kansas'**

 **One Week Later**

 _Castiel had just left the school grounds when Alastiar appeared accompanied by a woman with long wavy read hair. Cas hear jumped in his throat. For the last fortnight he had been living in fear at school and now he wasn't even safe outside of school?_

 _"Hey, Castiel," The girl said, "Me and Allie and just have a debate about your name. See, Allie thinks that it's some sort of family name, but, since you don't actually have a family, I think whatever orphanage that elderly couple found you in named all the kids something weird. So, which is?"_

 _Castiel didn't respond, just looked down. He didn't actually know who's bright idea it was to name him after some obscure angel that was only probably mentioned once in the apocrahal list of angels. (He only knew that because he looked it up a couple years before.) After the Singers had adopted him there was brief talk of changing his first name as well, but eventually they decided to stick with it because he was use to it at this point._

 _"Hey!" Alastiar shouted, breaking away from the redhead and walking closer to Cas, "My girl asked you question!"_

 _"I-I never lived in an orphanage." Cas sputtered._

 _"Good to know, but that's not the question we asked." Alastiar said, grabbing Cas by the collar and slamming him into the wall, " I think I need to teach you how to give a coherent answer."_

 _Castiel kicked and squirmed trying to get away, but preparing for the beating he knew was coming at the same time. He closed his eyes then suddenly felt Alastiar's weight lifted off him. He opened his eyes and saw Dean punching his attacker in the face. Standing a few feet were Sam and his friend Eileen._

 _"Get Cas and Eileen outa here!" Dean shouted to his brother, before hitting Alastiar again._

 _Sam grabbed Eileen's hand and hurried past the scene, Cas joined them._

 _The whole time Dean continued to walloped on Alastiar not stopping even for a moment. Feeling his girlfriend about to pounce, Dean called out, "Don't think I'm afraid to hit a girl!"_

 _Just like the girl ran off in the opposite direction. "Looks like it's just me and you," Dean said, before taking another punch. He got in a couple of more blows, then, satisfied, pulled Alastiar up so that they were face to face and said, "You come after any of my friends again, I promise you, it'll be so much worst." The he threw him on the ground and walked away._

 **Lawrence Kansas**

 **A Week And A Half Later**

 _Running behind, Cas pulled his textbook out and was about to shut the door when it suddenly slammed shut, startling him. He went from startled to scare when he saw who had shut it._

 _"Miss me?" Alastiar asked mockingly._

 _Cas looked around, only to see the few remaining people in the hallway shuffling away._

 _"Your boyfriend can't help you now." Alastiar said, a sadistic grin on his face._

 _Trying to defend himself, Cas raised his fist and hit Alastiar in the face, but apparently not very hard. "Cute." Alastiar sneer, "Now let me show you how it's done." Then he punched Castiel in the face, sending him to the ground in pain._

 _"Hey!" A voice shouted._

 _Alastiar looked up and saw a teacher standing next to one of the students who had ran off when he entered the hallway. He ran for it and the teacher ran for Cas, helping him up. "Are you alright?" The teacher asked._

 _"I think so." Cas answered._

 _" Let's get you to nurse, just in case." The teacher said, hurrying Cas down the hall._

 _When Castiel came out of the nurse's office Dean and the others were waiting for him, and they did not look happy. "What happened?" Eileen asked._

 _" Alastiar happened." Cas, answered, " Sam, could you-"_

 _"It's okay," Eileen said, "I read your lips."_

 _Seeing Dean was looking like he was about to pop, Cas pleaded, "Please, Dean, don't do anything stupid."_

 _"I'm not." Dean said, "But I think it's time we found another way to deal with this."_

 **Lawrence Kansas**

 **Right now**

"And that's when we came here." Castiel finished.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Karen asked.

"I just...didn't want to complain," Cas answered, "I figured if I gave it long enough, he's move one to someone else. That's how this guy usually works."

"Not this time," Bobby said, "We're going to do something about this?"

"What?" Cas asked, worried.

"Give me a minute." Bobby replied.

Meanwhile, outside adult Sam said, "This could take a while. Maybe we should get going before we press our luck."

"Not a bad idea." Dean said.

They gathered the spell, one more time, then Dean read, : "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The bushes started to move in the wind and once again the men were engulfed in a bright white light, leaving the inspecting families behind.


	67. The Futcure Is Now

**Thanks to Juxshoa for this request.**

When they came to this time, they in a dingy alleyway. As they got to their feet, they got a glimpse at the world outside the alleyway, and did a double take, stepping closer to the outside for a closer look.

The world outside was made of sleek towering buildings with flat lines and shinny class windows. Strange shaped whizzed past them, flat spears, some which had small tails, others with wins, some with engines sticking out from the bottom. A row of them was stopped at a red spinning ball that was flashing red.

"Are those... cars?" Dean asked, squinting at the scene.

"Yeah," Sam said, "Yeah, I think they are."

"That's...actually pretty cool," Dean admitted.

Just then there was _clash_ from the alleyway and the boys turned around to find that universe's version of themselves throwing someone against a garbage can, Dean armed with a glowing green machete. "Eat it _Twilight_!" Dean shouted before slicing through the vampire's neck with the device.

"Dude." The other Dean whispered to his brother, "What time are we in?"


	68. Brave New World

"Eat it, _Twilight_ ?" The Sam of the universe asked, "Really?"

"Hey, I had to suffer through that book back in high school, I should be able to use it for a one-liner." Dean argued.

They turned to leave and saw the other Sam and Dean.

"Okay," Sam began quickly, "I know this looks weird but let me explain. We're you and Dean from another universe. We were hunting a witch, she got the jump on us and sent us to another universe, and we're just trying to back to our universe, but we keep winding up in the wrong ones. Wow, it's been a while since we had to say all that."

"Okay," The Dean of the universe said, lowering the laser machete, "Sounds legit."

"It does?" The Sam of that universe asked.

"Sam, I just took out a vampire with a laser cutter," Dean pointed out, shaking the device for empathies, "Witches and Alternate universes are just Thursday for us."

"Speaking of laser cutters," Dean spoke up, "Could you, um, tell us what year this is?"

 **New York, New York**

 **2085**

 _"So, Ryker Juniak was found behind mech shop, completely insainginated." Sam read from the file, "Scared a couple of kids pretty bad. There were also unidentified bite marks on neck. Then the Trace data base spotted three similar murders in the same area in a two month period."_

 _The Trace data based automatically searched all police data bases across the country when a murder was put into the system, looking for any similar crimes._

 _"So, the cops thinking serial killer?" Dean asked._

 _"Yeah," Sam replied, "But I'm thinking vampire."_

 _Dean shorted. Sam gave him a look in response._

 _"Come on man," Dean said, "We haven't had a vampire in years. I'm pretty sure those things are going extinct."_

 _"Going being the operative word," Sam argued, "Look at the file, Dean, what else could it be?"_

 _"Okay, I see you point, but let's have a look at the boy first, alright?" Dean reasoned, "Assuming it's still there."_

 _No such luck. The body had already been released to the family and all that was left was the holograms. Still, a hologram could been as good as a body when you weren't looking for any sort of residue._

 _"Can we get a closer up on the bite?" Sam requested of the coroner._

 _"Of course." The coroner said, moving his hands to enlarge the neck wound._

 _Dean had to admit, it was the right size and shape for a vampire wound. Was there anything odd about the crime scene?"_

 _"You mean other than the body completely drained of blood?" The corner asked._

 _"Yeah," Dean replied flatly, "Other than that."_

 _"Well," The corner said, "There also a soy mixture found on the victim's clothes."_

 _"Soy mixture?" Sam asked, "Like from a stimulated protein shop?"_

 _"Exactly." The corner said, "In fact, analysis says this particular soy mixture was suppose to simulate turkey."_

 _Later on back at the hotel, Dean was staring at several small slivery foil bags, trying to decide between instant Pad Thai and instance Veggie Rice. He eventually decided on the rice and tore open the package, pouring mixture of powder and small objects into the bowel, then poured in the water before putting it in the microwave. A minute later he pulled out a steaming hot bowel of fresh-looking rice and vegetables. He dug his spoon in when the door opened and Sam rushed in, exclaiming, "You won't believe what I just found!"_

 _Dean froze mid-bite. "Alright, what did you find?" He asked, before putting a spoon full of rice in his month._

 _"Okay, so I looked at the locations of all the murders." Sam explained, pulling out his iPad and pulling up holograms for Dean to see, "And they're all within a mile radius of this shop." He enlarged and small shop with a brown-single roof._

 _"So?" Dean asked, between bites._

 _Sam rolled his eyes. "So, it's a protein shop that uses the exact blend found on the victim."_

 _"So do probably a dozen or so stores that sell stim protein." Dean countered._

 _"Actually," Sam replied, "The blend used is only by three stimulated protein shop, and this one is the only one near the crime scenes. We go here, we'll find our vampire."_

 _"You're still convinced it's a vampire aren't you?" Dean declared, before eating another spoonful of veggie rice._

 _"You're still convinced it's not?" Sam responded._

 _"Okay, so, what's your plan?" Dean asked._

 _"I was thinking we go there, have a look around try to figure out who this is." Sam answered hopefully._

 _"Can I finish my dinner first?" Dean asked, equally hopeful._

 _"Sure." Sam said, "Hey, is there any Pad Thai left?"_

 _Later that evening the boys silently parked by the side of the shop and got out. "So what are you looking at, security-wise?" Dean asked, "Motion sensors, hallo-recorders?"_

 _"No, just an old-fashioned lock," Sam replied._

 _"Okay, that is a bit suspicious," Dean admitted, starting to pick the lock._

 _Dean picked the lock, opened the door and they walked into a completely dark room, only lighted by the street lights outside. There was glass displaying a verity of stimulated protein, from simple protein bars to stimulated steak. Then they noticed the door to the back room was slightly a jar._

 _Readying their laser cutters, the pair made their way past the counter display and opened the door, Sam turning on the light. They were in the cold room, surrounded by different cuts of stimulated protein, on the shelves in hanging in the air._

 _Sam narrowly dodged a stimulated rump roast when he noticed something dark red behind the "chicken breast" on the shelves._

 _"Hey, Dean," Sam called out, pointing to his find._

 _Dean walked over to it and picked up a small bag filled with red liquid. "We got his blood," Dean declared holding it up, then looking back at it, continued, "There's only one reason I can think for this being here. Looks like you might have been right after all, Sam."_

 _Just then the door opened, revealing a stocky-built man, who looked rather perturbed that they were there. "What do you to think you're doing here?" He demanded._

 _"Well, we were just trying to figure out," Dean replied, holding up the blood bag, "What a fake meat shop is doing with real blood?"_

 _The man froze for a minute, than snarled, revealing two rows of sharp, narrow fangs. He charged the boys, but they had enough time to duck out of the way. However, when it cornered Dean, he realized maybe that wasn't the best idea._

 _Acting fast, Sam shot a dead man's blood dipped dart into the vampire's back. The creature backed up and both he and Dean kicked it out the back door, causing it to hit a garbage can. "Eat it,_ Twilight!" _Dean exclaimed, before putting his cutter through the vampire's neck._

 **New York, New York**

 **Right Now**

"2065," The Dean of the universe, "Why?"

"Let's just say that where we come from, cars don't fly." Dean replied, "At least not yet."

"So, is it okay, we come in there to do the spell?" Sam spoke up.

"Sure," The Sam of the universe gesturing him to go into the shop.

 _"Well, I meant the alley, but okay."_ Sam thought as they went inside. Then the boys quickly, prepared the spell than he read, "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag..."


	69. Dismiss The Mystery

**Thanks To Juxshoa for this request.**

When their vision cleared they were in a gray sterile-looking hallway that echoed with screams.

Instinctively, they jumping, looking around the room. After determining the source was behind one of the many flat doors in the hall, they ran to it and tried to handle, only to find it locked. They continued to pull on it, until a voice that sounded liked Dean's called out, "Hey! Occupied! Try one of the other rooms!"

Then they heard a woman's voice say, "You see what I mean? You get rid of one of us, two more pop up in our place. Face it, boys, you're fighting a losing battle."

There was paused, pained noised from the girl then Dean said, "Doesn't mean we can't try."

The brothers exchanged looks. "Is that an exercisim going on in there?" Sam whispered.


	70. The Hunter Crops

**Fort Arcadia Base, North Dakota**

 **1996**

 _Dean stood ramrod straight in a line of other cadets waiting for their first day of specialized training to begin._

 _When Dean was 18, he sighed up for the Hunter Crops, a task force set up by the government to contend with ghost, demons, monsters, and their ilk. It wasn't easy. His father hadn't taken it well, and his brother was terrified he was going to die. And during training, he felt like might some days. But a year of hard work was finally about to pay off._

 _Today they learned how to exercise demons._

 _The major doing the instruction, finished his speech and pulled back a curtain revealing a man chained a chair in the middle of a devil's trap._

 _The cadets just stared as a their hearts all started to beat faster. Demons were one of the rarer creatures they dealt with, but they were also one of the most dangerous ones. Everyone knew how serious this aspects of their training was._

 _"Now, who wants to go first?" The major asked._

 _No one answered._

 _In light of the repose, he pointed at Dean, saying, "Winchester. Get over here."_

 _Dean apprehensively hurried over to the tray of tools in front of the demon. He picked up a flask of holy water, opening it and tossed on the demon causing steam to come from the body and the demon to scream. Dean backed up a bit in fright, remembering what they had said about the human host : That while they couldn't always be saved, it was preferable to do so._

 _"The meatsuit's already dead, cadet," The major assured him, chuckling a little, "You think we'd give greenhorns someone that could potentially be saved?"_

 _"Sorry, sir." Dean said, picking up the salt._

 _"There's one every year." The major chuckled under his breath._

 **Saint Paul Base, Walden, West Virginia**

 **Present Day**

"Well, at least we know we're still the good guys," Dean said, tossing in the accenite, "I think."

"Then it's probably best we not disturb them." Sam said, pouring in the lamb's blood and beginning the chant, "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind started picking up, but thankfully there wasn't much for it to move this time around, and the pair once again disappeared into a bright light.

At the same time inside the exercisim room, black smoke poured out of the woman chained to the chair in the devil's trap. When all the smoke was gone, her head hung limply, brown hair obscuring her features.

"Get that door open," Dean ordered to one of the other members of his squad, as he went over to check the girl's vitals. She had pulse, but barely. "We need a medic in here!" He shouted, "Now!"

Four hours later Dean was standing in the doorway of the doors' hospital room, watching her sleep. According to the doctors she was going fine, physically at least.

Suddenly there was movement from underneath her eyelids, which slowly opened, looking around her new surroundings, confused and somewhat scared.

"It's alright," Dean said, "You're in hospital on St. Paul's army base. You were possessed, but we took care of it. The doctors say you're going to be alright, and we've called your family, they're on their way."

"They still want to see me?" The girl asked, "After everything I did?"

Dean stepped into the room, "Hey, listen, it's Melinda, right?"

The girl, Melinda, nodded.

"Listen Melinda," Dean began, "That wasn't you. That was the demon that trapped you inside your own body. Whatever it did, was not your thought you understand?"

Melinda nodded.

"Good." Dean said.

Melinda was quiet for a minute, then said, "Thank you...for getting that-thing out of me."

"Just doing my job." Dean replied.


	71. Minor Differences

**Thank you Juxshoa for this request.**

When they came to they were laying on the side of white brick building. Looking at the line of cars outside and the booths they could see through the windows, they guessed it was some sort of dinner.

Suddenly the door open and Sam and Dean hurried to the other side of the building where they couldn't be seen. Sure enough, it was their parallel sleeves that exited the dinner, and they looked pretty much like themselves. In fact, they couldn't see any evident differences between this world in their own.

At least until they got into the car.

Instead of getting into a black '67 Impala, they boys got into a black British Roadster. An older model, but still, a Roadster. Then they pulled out onto the road, and got onto the left side.

"Well," Dean said, "I guess there's the difference."


	72. Yay Britanna

**Ulster, Lochmanen**

 **2014**

 _Sam couldn't help but stare as the two plates were put on the table. Not at his own's but Dean's which was piled-high with a fried eggs,, sausages, white and black pudding, bacon, mushrooms, baked beans, hash browns, toast, and half a tomato._

 _"What?" Dean asked when he noticed his younger brother staring at him._

 _"Dean, who actually gets a fry-up anymore?" Sam asked, "I mean, besides tourist?"_

 _"Some English people still eat them." Dean protested, taking a bite of its sausage, "Otherwise why would they have it on the menu at some dinner in back road hamlet?"_

 _"Some tourist like hamlets," Sam informed him, "They get romantic ideas about them from_ Midsummer."

 _"How does anyone get romantic ideas from_ Midsummer Murders _?" Dean questioned, "Everybody's murdering everyone else. I mean, I'm not even sure how there's anyone left in that county."_

 _Sam couldn't help but laugh. Then, eyeing Dean's plate he asked, "Hey, are you gonna eat your black pudding?"_

 **Ulster, Lochmanen**

 **Right Now**

"Well, this is a fairly simple point of diversion," Sam said, as he poured in the goat bile.

"Yeah, and makes it simple to Dean said, pouring in the lamb's blood. Then he took the book and read, Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

Once again the wind picked up, and they disappeared into their bright white light.


	73. Upside Down

When they came to they were standing in a middle of what looked to be an abandoned city. They were alone on road, which was empty save for a few cars, which appeared to have been abandoned for some time, one of them flipped over.

Suddenly a woman with short neat black hair dressed in a gray pants suit, came out from behind one of the buildings. Suddenly a blade went through her then girl with long, slightly curly blonde hair stepped out from behind the building, stabbing the woman. A group four people joined her Sam and Dean among them. When they saw the doubles all weapons were drawn on them.

"Whoa," Sam said, raising up his hands along with Dean, "Look, we don't mean any harm. We're from another universe. There was this witch and-"

"That's gonna have to wait." The Dean of that universe spoke up, "We got angels, twelve o'clock."

Out of nowhere a group about ten beings appeared in the sky, wings of metal-looking protruding from their backs. Wings that appeared to be dripping with blood.

Those with riffles fired them off at the monsters as everyone ran for it. "Come on!" The girl shouted at them, grabbing Dean's arm as a sandy-haired man and that's universe's Dean pulled Sam into the group.

The angels were gaining on them and the others raised their guns in the air and fired. It hit them and actually did some damage, nicking the wings of at least two of them and one actually fell from the sky.

"Alright, now they're pissed!" The Dean of the universe shouted.

"Scatter formation, now!" The blonde ordered.

The group split up into two smaller groups, a Sam and Dean in each of them, hiding behind the buildings, and ducking down so they were far from the angels' view. They looked around trying to find their prey, splitting up themselves in their search.

For four minutes everyone held their breath, waiting to see if the creatures would come back. Finally the blonde stepped into the light and called out, "Alright, all clear."

Everyone stepped out from their hiding spots and joined together in the middle of the abandoned road. "Okay, we need to get back to base." Eying Sam and Dean she added, "You two, talk while we walk."

"Ah, okay," Sam began, "We're you two, but from another universe. We were haunting this witch who did a spell that sent us to another universe, and we've been trying get back to ours ever since, but we keep winding up in the wrong one. "

There was a moment of silence, then the blonde said, "Do you know how to get to different universes?"

"Yeah, we all the stuff for the spell with us." Dean spoke up, "We can do it right now and you can be on your way."

"Not a good idea," The blonde replied, "Better come back to base with us. Being on your own's a good way to die in this universe."

From the look on her face as well as the looks of everyone else in the group, they could tell the matter wasn't up for debate.

They travel for hours, past the city and into the country side. "So, where exactly is this base?" Dean asked finally.

"Right here." The blonde said, as they came to large circular gate, so tall it could not be seen over. The blonde walked up to the front of it staring at what looked like some sort of intercom. "State your name, rank if you have one, number of party, and intention." A voice ordered.

The blonde huffed. "Come on, Marcus, you know who I am and what we were doing out here."

"Still have to go through with the procedure." Marcus replied.

"Ruby Crowley, Major, Princess," The blonde, Ruby apparently, said.

Sam and Dean exchanged startled looks. What had they just stepped into?

"My group had eight people, and our intention was a supply run." Ruby finished.

"Eight?" Marcus replied, "Ruby, you only left with six people, counting you."

"We picked up a couple extra, long story." Ruby replied, "Not need to process them, they won't be staying here."

The door opened in the group walked in. Or rather, Sam and Dean were pushed in by the others, as they were suddenly unsure if they should continue this course of action.

The place they entered was not the fiery Hades on Earth they had been expected, but a simple village, small wood and stone houses, with people going about their daily lives. One woman was even milking a cow.

That was around the time the noticed a figure in black hurrying towards their group. He got close enough to realize it was Crowley, his eyes going directly to Ruby. "Where have you been?" Crowley asked, going in to embrace the girl, "I was getting worried.

"Sorry, Dad." Ruby said returning then breaking the hug, "We got a little-" she eyed Sam and Dean from the corner of her eye, "Sidetracked."

No longer able to contain himself, Dean exclaimed, "Okay, what in the actual Hell is going on here?!"


	74. Demons Vs Angels

"Sweetheart, is just me or had my worst nightmare come true and there are another set of Winchesters?" Crowley asked, eying the two pairs.

"That's what slowed us down." Ruby replied, "They're from another universe apparently. Don't worry, they know how to get back."

"Yeah, this universe is weird," Dean continued, "I mean, probably not the weirdest one, but still pretty weird. I mean, demons are good now?"

"Ah, they've always been good." The Sam of the universe spoke up.

"Ah, maybe not always," Ruby spoke up, "It all started about the early 1500s..."

 **Heaven**

 **1510**

 _"It's good to see you again, brother."_

 _Michael turned around in shock as he saw Lucifer standing there._

 _"Don't act so surprised." Lucifer said, "You agreed to meet me remember?"_

 _No one knew how, but somehow, some way, Lucifer had escaped from his cage. The whole of the Heavenly Host had been franticly searching for him for over a week, then, yesterday he relayed a secret message to oldest Archangel. For whatever reason, Michael had followed Lucifer's instructions, waiting on the furthest reaches of Heaven, completely alone._

 _"Why did you want to meet here, Lucifer?" Michael asked tersely_

 _"I have proposition for you." Lucifer replied._

 _"What sort of proposition?" Michael asked apprehensively._

 _"I want to join forces with you." Lucifer answered._

 _"Join forces for what?" Michael asked._

 _Lucifer rolled his eyes and sighed. "You know what for, Michael, to destroy the humans."_

 _Now it was Michael's turn to sigh, a weary, angry sigh. "I was hoping you had learned your lesson," He said, "But nothing ever changes with you."_

 _"Because there's nothing that needs to change," Lucifer argued, "And I think you know that, because I can give you what you've always wanted. What you're really always wanted."_

 _"What does that mean?" Michael asked._

 _"You have everyone convinced that you're just, 'the good son'," Lucifer said, sauntering around Michael, "That your one wish in life is to obey Father's orders. But I know the truth. I know that you like running things while Father's away. I know you love the power, that your craving more of it. And I can give it to you."_

 _Michael broke out into a sinister grin. " Tell me more."_

 **Hade's Hollow**

 **Present Day**

"So the angels not only turned on humanity, but Lucifer sent them after us," Ruby continued, "So demons and humans started teaming up, eventually we just became the good guys." Glancing back at Crowley she asked, "I got that about right?"

"How old do you think I am?" Crowley replied, "My dad was barely an adult when it happened."

"Back up a second," Dean spoke up, "Dad? Demons reproduce in this world? L-like-people do?"

"Yes," Crowley, "Didn't you get that Ruby's my daughter?"

"I do now," Dean replied, "But uh, why are _we_ doing here?"

 **Home Valley,**

 **1991**

 _When Dean came to the world was in haze. All he would see was gray and all he could hear was his eardrums reverberating. The he raised his head up and saw a figure on their knees several feet away. He realized it was his brother._

 _The thirteen-year-old leapt up and ran over to him calling, "Sammy!" As he lifted his brother to his feet he saw what was staring at._

 _Their parents' dead bodies, their eyes burnt out._

 _Dean started at them in shock as felt tears welling up his eyes, but he forced them back. There would be time for that later. "We need to get out of here." He told Sam, "Now." He dragged his brother away and ran towards what was left of the forest._

 _The area they lived in was heavily wooded and people were sparsely laid out, so they were the only people for miles. Two days later, when they finally arrived at their nearest neighbors, they found that they had been slaughtered as well._

 _Sam started crying. Dean took him in his arms, rubbing small circles on his back. "It's okay," Dean whispered, "It's gonna be okay."_

 _"No, it's not!" Sam wailed, "Mom and Dad are dead, and they're dead and we're the only ones left and they're probably gonna come back and kill us, too!"_

 _"No, they won't." Dean said firmly, "I won't let them."_

 _"It don't see how you can stop us." A voice said from behind them._

 _They turned around to see two male angels standing about a foot away from them, looking at the boys with malicious glee._

 _"Actually, maybe we should keep them instead." The taller of the pair said, "They young enough they might make good pets. Especially the little one."_

 _Sam cowered back behind Dean, letting out a whimper._

 _"Leave us alone!" Dean shouted, trying to not look scared._

 _The angel chuckled, pulling out his blade. He raised his arm and the next thing Dean was aware of was a sharp pain in his stomach, falling to the ground, his hands covering the cut. The last thing he was heard before he lost consciousness was Sam calling out his name._

 **Hade's Hallow**

 **Three Days Later**

 _When Dean's eyes opened, his vision was blurry and all he could make out were browns and whites. When it got clear he could see he was in a brown-paneled room lined with cots. He sat up and tried to get out of the one he was in._

 _A young, bespectacled doctor saw what he was trying to do an ran over to him, gently grabbing onto his and attempting to force him. "You're in no condition to be up yet, sweetie." The woman tried, "Hey, I need some help here!"_

 _"Let me go I need to find my brother!" Dean demanded as two nurses and an orderly came to help the doctor._

 _"We didn't find anyone else, there!" The orderly informed them, "All we found was you."_

 _Dean froze. "What?"_

 _"I'm sorry you had to find out this way." The doctor said, thought she wasn't sure what he was talking about._

 _"No," Dean said, "No."_

 **Hade's Hallow**

 **A Month Later**

 _Dean walked down the row of desk, looking for a seat._

 _He found shortly after waking up he was found out he was in Hade's Hallow, a colony of both demon and human refugees. One of their patrols found him half-dead and took him back to the base. Now he was living the colony's orphanage, which regretfully was thriving business, and had finally been cleared to start school._

 _Suddenly a girl with wavy blonde hair put a hand towards the empty desk next to her, gesturing for Dean to sit down, saying, "You can sit by me."_

 _A man with brown facial hair around his mouth and the hair on his head done back in short ponytail opened his mouth to speak but the girl said, "I don't think he's a security risk." She turned back to Dean and said, "I'm Ruby."_

 _"Dean." He replied._

 _"Hey, Ruby," Dean said, later as the pain were walking together in the school yard, "What's with that guy that's always following you around?"_

 _"Aldo's my bodyguard." Ruby explained sheepishly, "I'm kind of the Princess Of all Demon kind._

 _Dean's eyes widened. "And you're just mentioning this now?!"_

 _"It never came up." Ruby replied._

 _"Shouldn't you have like, private tutors or something?" Dean asked._

 _"That gets kind of lonely," Ruby explained, "So my parents said I could go to school if I had a body guard with me. Dad pulled out for a little bit thought, after..." Ruby's voice trailed off._

 _"After what?" Dean asked._

 _"After my mom died." Ruby finished, her eyes suddenly having a staring contest with the ground as her countence darkened._

 _"I'm sorry," Dean said, "I lost my Mom, too."_

 _Looking up slightly Ruby asked "Was it angels?"_

 _"Yeah," Dean said, "They got my Dad too, and they took my brother. I hate 'em."_

 _Ruby took his hand, saying, "Well, that's one thing we have in common."_

 **Iron Mountain Fortress**

 **Three Years Later**

 _"Dean!" Ruby shouted, running through the halls of the fortress, clutching her gun for dear life, "Dean, talk to me!"_

 _"Over here!" Dean hissed, sticking his head out from one of the rooms._

 _There was planned assault on an angelic strong-hold that had popped up a little too close to the Hallow. They had already had to fend off one attack from it. The guard wound up short on the needed troops so the decision was made to grab the best cadets to join in the assault. Two of those cadets were Dean and Ruby. Then things went wrong. The angels had been expecting them, and had an ambush ready forcing the platoon to scatter. Somehow Ruby and Dean had actually wound up inside the fortress._

 _"You hurt?" Ruby asked, after ducking into the room._

 _"No," Dean said, looking outside, his gun raised, "You?"_

 _"No." Ruby replied, "We have got to find a way out of here."_

 _"Gee, ya think?" Dean snapped._

 _Ruby shot him a venomous look. "That's not helping."_

 _Dean didn't know what scared him more, the angels or an angry Ruby. "Alright," He said, "If we can just get back to the tunnel without being spotted I think we can-"_

 _Dean was interrupted by the sound of rattling chains from inside the room. Both teenagers turned their guns aimed, only to find a boy who couldn't be more than twelve his arms raised in surrender, terror in his eyes. They saw the shackle around his ankle and long chain connecting to the wall._

 _"Oh my God," Ruby gasped. She had heard rumors of angels keeping captives humans as "pets" tormenting them some times for years before finishing them off, but she never really imagined it could true._

 _Dean was horrified for a totally different reason. It had been three years, and his face cut up and scared, but he would know him anywhere. "Sam?"_

 _Ruby turned to face her friend, "Sam? Like, as in your brother Sam?"_

 _That was what it took for Sam to comprehend what was going on. "Dean?" Then he ran towards his brother, wrapping his arms around his legs, "Dean!"_

 _Suddenly Dean felt himself flooded with devastation, remorse, and joy at the same time. His little brother was not only alive, but he found him, but he who know what he had been through in this Hell hole and Dean had just left him there. "I'm sorry," He said, tears in his eyes, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."_

 _"Ah, I really hate to break this up," Ruby spoke up, "But we need to get that off him and get out of here." She pulled out the set of lock picks that were part of every soldiers' supplies. "Hey, Sam," She said gently, kneeling down and working at the lock, "My name Ruby, I'm a friend of your brother, and we're going to get you out of here, okay?"_

 _Sam nodded._

 _"Dean, go guard the door." Ruby ordered._

 _Dean did, but his eyes kept going back to Ruby and Sam as she worked on the chain. At last the shackle came off._

 _"Come on let's go." Ruby said, walking over with the boy._

 _The trio hurried through the halls, guns at the ready, Dean not letting go of Sam's hand. He was not going to lose him again._

 _Suddenly a male angel appeared in the hallway. An angel that Dean recognized._

 _"Well, well, well," The angel mused, "Look who got lose."_

 _Sam cowered behind Dean as he and Ruby fired at the angel until he was down._

 _"It's okay." Dean said, pulling Sam close, "He can't hurt you ever again." Of course, he wish his brother didn't have to see that._

 _"He's probably seen worse." Ruby assured her as if she had read his mind._

 _When they finally came to the tunnel, they ducked down and slowly made their way through it, only illuminated by the scopes on their riffles. They were practically holding their breaths knowing any moment they could get caught, or the tunnel could cave in, and having no idea what would greet them on the other side._

 _When they finally got out of the tunnel, they could see the battle raging on. The demons and humans had regrouped, and it looked like they were actually evenly matched with the angels._

 _"Stay here until me or Ruby come get you." Dean ordered, guiding his brother back into the tunnel then the two teenagers ran back into the battle._

 _It was probably about half an hour but it felt like ages. But eventually, somehow, they won, chasing what angels remained away._

 _Now all that was left was taking account of their own casualties and regrouping. As the others started gathering together, Ruby and Dean turned back towards the fortress._

 _At least until a voice called out from the crowd, "Has anyone seen Ruby?"_

 _When she heard her father saying her name she stopped in her tracks. Ever since his wife, Lilith, her mother, was murdered by angels, he had become even more concerned for safety than he already had been. He had begged her to let him get her out of this, but she refused any preferential treatment. She knew he had to be worried sick._

 _"Go." Dean said, reading the guilt-stricken look on her face, "I'll get Sam and we'll catch up."_

 _Ruby ran towards the crowd while Dean headed back towards the tunnel._

 **Hades Hallow**

 **One Day Later**

 _"They're over here." The doctor said, gesturing to where Dean was sitting at Sam's bedside, struggling to stay awake._

 _"Thanks?" Ruby said, walking towards, "So, how is he?"_

 _"The doctors say it could've have been worst." Dean answered, looking up briefly then looking back at his little brother, "He has a couple of infected cuts and he's malnourished and dehydrated." He was silent for a minute then rubbed his hands across his face wearily. "He's got scars everywhere and they said he had multiple breaks that didn't heal right. He's been through so much..."_

 _"You both have." Ruby said, sitting down next to Dean and taking his hand, "We'll figure it out."_

 _"What do you mean, we?" Dean asked._

 _"Any brother of yours is a brother of mine." Ruby infirmed his firmly, "Now how 'bout you get some sleep while I take over the watch for a while."_

 _"Okay." Dean agreed, his load feeling oddly lightened by Ruby's words._

 **Hade's Hallow**

 **Present Day**

"Now that you've delve up every negative memory we have," The Dean of that universe began, "Don't you have your own universe to get to?"

"Right." Dean said, and the pair started putting the spell together. When they were finished Sam read, " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind picked up, moving anything that wasn't nailed down, which was most of the compound, gaining the attention of most of the nearby populace.

Sam opened his mouth to apologize, but before he could they were once again engulfed in the white light.


	75. Back To School

**AN: Special thanks to Juxshoa for this request. Also, special thanks to Juxshoa for the last one, and sorry for forgetting to put it down.**

This time when the light faded, they were in what looked like a regular school hallway. Brown hallways lined the walls, broken up by sturdy-looking wooden doors.

They heard footsteps coming down the hall and Dean's voice saying, "Trust me, Sam, you're gonna like it here."

Wanting to get out of the way before they were seen, they quickly ducked into the nearest classroom, slamming the door behind them.

First they got on either side of the door, then out of curiosity, they both glanced out the window. At that moment a version of Dean who looked about eighteen, and a version of Sam that appeared about fourteen or fifteen appeared into view. Sam seemed apprehensive about whatever was going on, but Dean had his arm around the boy assumingly.

Dean's eye moved out into the classroom and that was when he noticed the large black iron cauldron off to the side of the room by the window. In addition to that, the shelves were lined with very old looking books, like the kind they would offend find spells in.

"Sam," He said slowly, "Do you notice anything odd about this classroom?"

Sam turned his attention to the room. "You mean the big cauldron in the middle of the room? Yeah, it's kind of hard to miss."

Just then a door on the other side of the room opened revealing a woman with long red hair dressed in an elegant black dress.

"What are you doing here?!" Rowena demanded.


	76. Hunter Acadamey

"Look, Rowena, we can explain all of this-" Sam began.

"That Ms. McCould to you." Rowena snapped, "And you better have a good explanation for being here before I call security."

"Do you know Sam and Dean Winchester in this universe?" Sam asked.

Rowena scoffed. "Unfortunately I know Dean Winchester," She said, " That incorrigible little twit has been the vein of my spell classes for the last four years. And now I just learned that this year I'm going to have his little brother! " She threw her arm and the air dramatically then slammed it on her desk, "Will it never end?!"

Sam and Dean exchanged glances. "Sounds like the usual response I get from teachers," Dean said, "What do you mean by spell class? Is this like the _Hogwarts_ universe?"

"Universe?" Rowena said, then it dawned on her, "Oh no, please don't tell me someone sent you from another universe."

"Yeah, actually, they did." Sam said, "And we're just trying to get back to ours. Look, we know how, we just need a few minutes to put it all together. Though, while we're here-is this the _Hogwarts_ universe?"

"I wish," Rowena said, "I just teach them to use magic to hunt. And believe, on some of them it's a ridiculous waist of talent."

 **Kingston Academy**

 **1993**

 _Dean looked around in nervous awe at as he walked through the halls of the school, between the hunter who had saved him and pulled some strings to get him in here, his social worker, and the provost._

 _"You know, you don't have to do this." His social worker, Mrs. Dawson said, "You can just go to a regular school, just get an aprentienceship, or try something else."_

 _"No," Dean replied, "No, I still want to do this."_

 _"He'll still have options if for some reason he decides to go in direction other the licensed hunting," The provost assured them, "We classes in all basic academics as well. We've found a balanced approach works best."_

 _"Well, then.."The woman mused, still unsure, "Let's get the paperwork filled out."_

 _After Ms. Dawson out a massive stack of paper work and he said a tearful goodbye to Sam, who was going back with her, another member of the faculty lead Dean to the freshman's boys' dormitory, to a room containing two wood-framed beds._

 _"Your roommate-" The teacher looked back at the clipboard, "Jesse Porter. He should be up any minute. I'm suppose to go over the basic rules with you. Everyone in their dorms by 7:00 o'clock, in bed by 8:30. Fighting between students' is prohibited and can result in immediate expulsion, as can insubordination. Anything else can be found in the handbook." She handed Dean a small thick book. "Welcome to Kingston Academy."_

 _She walked out of the room, leaving Dean completely alone. He set his bag down by the side of the bed and practically collapsed onto the bed. For the first time since this journey had started, he was doubting his decision. Did it bold well for his future hunting career that he was already homesick? Well, maybe not home stick, but he definitely missed his brother. He had been able to make some arguments with friends to make sure he was okay, but still, this was the first time they'd been away from each other in...ever._

 _Just then the door opened and Dean looked up and saw a boy about the same age as him with neatly clipped brown hair. "Hey," He said, smiling at Dean, "You must me the new kid." Extended his hand towards Dean, he added, "I'm Jesse."_

 _"Dean." He replied shaking the offered hand._

 _"Nice to meet you." Jesse said, "It's all sinking in, huh?"_

 _"What?" Dean said, not really comprehending._

 _"I had that moment, too." Jesse replied, "Committing myself to this, leaving everything and everyone I knew behind, and the only person I liked from before was dead."_

 _"We're allowed to write, right?" Dean asked, suddenly worried._

 _"Yeah," Jesse replied, "Most of us here just don't have anyone we want to write to. You do?"_

 _"My little brother." Dean replied. When he the contortion of Jesse's face for a second he asked, "Is that who you lost? If, you know, you don't mind me asking."_

 _"It's alright." Jesse assured him ,"My big brother, actually."_

 _"I'm sorry." Dean replied._

 _"Thanks," Jesse replied, "Is it okay if I asked about you?"_

 _"My mom," Dean said, "Then my dad when he tried to after the thing that killed it. Then I tried to go after it on my own, much to the cirgrin of several different foster parents, then this actual hunter saved my butt when I got myself into real trouble, suggested that I should be sent here. "_

 _Within a few minutes the pair were talking just like they were old friends, staying up way past curfew._

 _The next day Jesse walked him through the mess hall for the first time. Shortly after they sat down, a Latino boy about the same age at them walked over to the table and sat down. "Hey," He said, leaning in and kissing Jesse. When he noticed Dean's eyes widened a bit Jesse turned back to him and said, "This gonna be a problem for you?"_

 _"No." Dean replied, getting his bearings back._

 _"Who's your new friend?" Jesse's boyfriend asked._

 _"This is Dean, he's my new roommate." Jesse explained, "Dean, this is my boyfriend Caesar."_

 _"Nice to meet you." Dean said._

 _"You, too." Caesar replied._

 _"We have most of our classes at the same time so I'm gonna be making sure he doesn't get lost in this maze and die," Jesse informed them, "Except for practical magic, then I'll hand him off to Magda."_

 _"Who's Magda?" Dean asked._

 _Jesse pointed over to a dark-haired girl in a purple jacket at a nearby table. She was smiling as she watched a four grapes being juggled in the air presumably by another girl who was moving her hand in the air._

 _"What the-?" Dean exclaimed._

 _"Yeah, probably should give you a heads up," Jesse said, "Magda's part of pilot program training psychics to hunt."_

 _"Psychics can't hunt?" Dean asked._

 _"Oh, they can, it just can go...off the rails if their powers aren't properly homed." Jesse explained, "But she's good people. A lot of issues, but...she's good."_

 _Dean however, didn't look like he was so sure._

 _"Come on, I'll introduce you." Jesse said, pulling Dean away from the table._

 **Kingston Academy**

 **Present Day**

"So, you're telling us there is a school dedicated to teaching hunters?" Dean asked, once Rowena was done explaining things.

"That's it." Rowena confirmed.

"Man, if I went to a school like that I might've finished." Dean commented.

Rowena rolled her eyes to the sky. "Oh, a second Dean Winchester would be my worst nightmare tenfold."

"Come, on, I couldn't have been that bad." Dean protested.

Rowena's vemous look was all the answer he needed.

"Yeah, why don't we just get out of here." Dean said, suddenly anxious.

"That's be good." Rowena agreed.

They got the spell ready then Sam read, , " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind picked up, knocking over several materials, then they disappeared into the white light.

Rowena sighed when she saw the mess the spell had left. "Now I'm gonna have to clean this up."


	77. Dean's Worst Nightmare

**Special thanks to Red K 5 for this request. Also, happy Thanksgiving everyone! (It's a little early, but still...)**

When their vision cleared this time, they were on the grey-carpeted floor of narrow hallway, with two rows of people staring at them in disbelief.

The pair quickly got up and started to look for somewhere to hide when Dean was suddenly aware of the ground moving beanth his feet. His heart starting beating faster as he realized what was going on. "Oh, my God." He gapped, "We're on a plane."

As the door to the cockpit opened Sam grabbed onto Dean and dragged him to the back of the plane, locking them both in the bathroom. He peeked outside just as someone peaked out of the cockpit "What's going on out here?" The man, who Sam assumed was the pilot or the co-pilot, asked.

A flight attendant with her hair pulled back in a ponytail hurried up and started whispering to the man. Suddenly he gestured into the cockpit then he stepped back in, then Dean's head, of all head, poked out.

"What are we even doing on a plane?!" Sam's Dean said between ragged breath, plastered to the corner of the stall, his eyes wide with terror.

"Ah, I think it's just you." Sam replied.

"Well, what the Hell am I doing on a plane?" Dean demanded, bordering on having a panic attack.

"Flying it, I think." Sam replied.


	78. The Friendly Skies

"What?!" Dean exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yeah, it looks like you're a pilot in this universe." Sam said, as he watched Dean the pilot step out of the cockpit to see what the heck was going on.

"How can I possibly be a pilot?!" Dean protested, "Come on, man, I mean look at me!"

"I guess...here you're not afraid of flying." Sam suggested, as it was the only explanation he could think of.

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **Five Hours Earlier**

 _Dean Winchester stepped out of the men's room and made his way towards the tarmac. He had twenty minutes before he took off, if everything went as it should._

 _Dean had knew since the age of five he was going to be a pilot. Seeing a plane in the sky one day he pointed to it and declared he was going to fly it one day. He went to flight school right out of high school, then several co-pilot possissions before getting the job as pilot he had now with a commercial airline._

 _"Hey, Dave." He said as he sat down in the pilot seat. He and Dave had been flying planes together for three years and now he had a hard time imaging flying with anyone else again._

 _"Hey, Dean." Dave replied._

 _Dean set down and did all the nessacary checks and procedures. When that was done he spoke into the speaker, "This is your captain speaking. We all cleared for take-off please fassen your seatbelts."_

 _Then guided the plane into the air._

 **International Air Space**

 **Right Now**

"Okay," Sam said, "Just stay calm. I'll get the spell together myself." Sam realized that, that just might be the fastest solution here, and they did not have much time until someone walked in on them.

Sam tossed the ingredients as fast as he could then read from the book so fast the words ran together, " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind blew and the light engulfed them just before the door opened. When the Dean of that universe looked in, he didn't see anyone. "Are you sure they came in here?" Dean asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." The attendant replied.

"Go get the air marshal," Dean instructed, "We'll get to the bottom of this."

They never did. But don't worry, the plane and all its passengers landed fine, just a bit confused.


	79. Not This Again!

**Special thanks to mckydstarlight for this request.**

When they came to this time once again there was a bunch of people staring at them. There was also a fair about of squealing.

They were about to ask what was going on when a large poster with them on in and the title _Supernatural_ gave them a hint.

Barely taking the time to process they fled the area before making any more of a spectacle of themselves. However, they kept getting shocked stares from onlookers as they sped through the convention center.

At last they found an area off-limits to the public at the back of the building. "Okay." Dean said, "There's got to be somewhere private in here where we can put this thing together."

Just then they across some sort of closet.

"That might work." Sam said going over to it and pulling the knob, finding to their relief it was unlocked.

The brothers hurried in, Dean shutting the door behind them. They started putting the spell together when a small pounding started on the door. The boys froze for a minute. Then a little voice started accompanying the pounding saying, "Daddy! Let in! Let in!"


	80. Does This Count As Costodial Interferenc

**Nashville Tennessee**

 **2014**

 _"Okay, ready?" Jensen asked, holding the gummy bear in his hand._

 _In response the toddler in front of him opened his mouth._

 _"Are you sure about this?" Jensen asked the man behind him._

 _"What's the worst that could happen?" Jared replied._

 _And so Jensen through the gummy bear, which the little boy caught in his mouth._

 _"Yeah!" Jensen cheered in a rather exaggerated manner._

 _"Way to go, Tom." Jared added as the both stopped down a bit extended their palms. The toddler gave them both an uncoordinated high-five._

 _"Oh my God, I have three children."A woman's voice said behind them._

 _They turned around to see Genevieve standing in the doorway, looking somewhat amused. "What happened to getting him down for a nap?"_

 _"We're getting him tired." Jared reasoned._

 _"Well," Genevieve asked, looking down at the boy, "Are you tired yet?"_

 _Tom shook his head._

 _"Way to sell me out, buddy." Jared quipped._

 _"Only three kids?""Jensen asked._

 _"Hey, your Daneel's problem." Genevieve joked good-naturedly._

 _Just then a rather frazzled-looking security guard ran into the room. "Oh, good, you're all still here." She said._

 _"Um, why wouldn't we be?" Jensen asked._

 _"Because we have reports of you two running around the conventions like madmen." The guard explained._

 _"What?" Genevieve replied._

 _As the guard elaborated on the situation, no one noticed Thomas scamper over to the open doorway. It might have been left at that, had not two figures identical to his father and honorary uncle run past. But how could they be there, when they were back there? Before anyone knew what happened the tot ran out in the crowd. For a second he lost sight of them and turned back to the door, but all the people around him were blocking his way. His lip started to quiver, but then he caught sight of the pair again. He ran after them, dodging people's legs and getting a few concerned stares from adults._

 _It was just then Jared noticed the toddler was no longer where they had left him. "Where's Tom?"_

 _The other looked around and realized he was no longer in the room. "Oh my God!" Genevieve screamed understandably loosing it._

 _Pulling out her walkie-talkie, the guard out, "We have a lost child over on the west side."_

 _Meanwhile Thomas had followed the two into an empty part of the building, where he lost sight of them. He started to get scared, when he saw them run into a closet. He ran over to the door and started hitting it, calling out to them._

 **Nashville, Tennessee**

 **Right Now**

"Dude, what are we gonna do?" Dean asked, as the pounding got more incessant and the child began screaming to be let in.

"I don't know," Sam said, "Maybe one of us should try-talking to him?"

"Okay, then which one of us, or them or whatever, do you think he belongs to?" Dean asked.

Just then, as if to emphasize the situation the child again screamed, "LET ME IN!"

"Why don't you just do it?" Sam said, nudging him towards the door, "You're good with kids."

"Yeah, but what if Jensen's not?" Dean pointed out, "What if it's not his and he's never even seen him before? What Jensen doesn't even like kids? What if he eats kids? We could wind up traumatizing this kid even more."

"Okay, I don't think eating children would be good for this guy's career." Sam pointed out, "And the kid's probably gonna be more traumatized if his lungs start bleeding."

Reluctantly Dean opened the door where a small brunette boy stopped crying when he saw him. "Unca Jensen?" The little boy sniffled.

Dean turned back to Sam and mouthed _not mine_ then turned back to the child crouching so he about as tall as the boy way. "Hey...buddy." He began, hopping that was a term of endearment the pair used, "Look, ah, me and your dad have to do something in here, and we need to do it with the door closed, so just wait out here a few minutes then we'll be right out, okay?"

"I help." The toddler suggested.

"There's really only room for me and your dad in here." Dean replied, "But I promise, we're be out of here before you know it, okay?"

"Okay." The little one said reluctantly.

Dean closed the door and they put the last ingredients together. Then Sam opened up from the book and began to read. " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till..."

Meanwhile, the _actual_ Jensen Ackles was walking across the way, spotting the child everyone was currently looking for. "Thomas!" He called out, when he saw the boy.

He turned around at the sound of his name. "Uncle Jensen?"

Jensen ran up to Thomas scooping the toddler up in his arms. "How you here," He began, pointing to Jensen, "And there?" He pointed back at the closet door.

"How can I-what?" Jensen asked, then went for the door. He cracked it opened and saw a blinding white light. He quickly shut it back and ran away from the closet. When they got safely away from the scene he looked down at the child in his arms and asked, "You saw that, right?"


	81. The Scariest Thing

**AN: Special thanks to Remember Ember for this request. Also, Merry Christmas everybody!**

This time when they came to, it too dark to really tell where they were but they could make out the outline of ...trees maybe? Yeah definitely trees. They were also aware of the terrified screams echoing through the night.

On instinct, the pair went running towards the noise, pulling out their weapons. They arrived at a clearing where they could make out a figure of a teenage boy, struggling with larger man white bright yellow eyes, claws and fangs.

"Hey!" Dean shouted, "Ugly!"

The werewolf turned at the sound of voices and raised up. That gave a good enough shot to shot it in the heart which he did. The creature fell to the ground and the boy backed from it as Sam and Dean ran towards him. "Are you hurt?" Dean asked.

"I don't think so," The boy said, then muttered, "My mom is going to kill me."

"Better your mom than that thing," Sam commented. Whatever was going on here ,he figured the kid's odds were better with her then a werewolf.

Just then a woman's desperate voice called out, "Dean!" Then a man's voice echoed, "Dean!"

Sam and Dean looked at each other, and then looked at the boy. Even with the full moon it was hard to discern his features, but he could be a younger Dean Winchester, but...he said his mom was the one who kill him.

"Dean!" the voices called out again, the woman's becoming more frantic.

"Over here!" Adult Dean called not, still not sure what was going on, but unwilling to prolong this woman's suffering another minute, "He's over here!"

A few seconds later they could see two beams of light appear from the forest. As the beams got closer they could make out the figures of a man and a woman holding flashlights. And as the pair got closer, they could more or less clearly make out the features of their mother.

Even thought they saw it coming, even went out of focus for both brothers for a moment. They knew that she was alive in at least _some_ of these universes- they had even seen her in one, but being face to face with her was something different. And what was she doing out here? With Dean? What was happening here?

"Don't dare do anything like this again," Mary was telling her Dean, before hugging him to her chest. "Thank you," She said looking at adult Sam and Dean, "I don't know what you two were doing out here, but thank you."

"Don't...mention...it," Sam managed to say.

"Are you two okay?" The man who was with them, who happened to be Bobby, making things make even less sense, spoke up.

"Ah, Yeah," Dean replied, "It's just...it's been a long time since we've been here."


	82. No Way Out

"What does that mean?" Mary asked.

Sam and Dean exchanged looks wondering what exactly to say. They knew they weren't going to get out of here without telling them _something,_ but this was going to be a real awkward one.

"Well...ah..." Sam began and suddenly it became a mumbled mess from both of them, about parallel universes and her being dead.

"Hun?" Mary said when they were done.

"I think they said," Bobby spoke up, "That they're Sam and Dean from another universe, they're trying to get back to their universe, but they landed here, and in their universe you're dead."

"You got all that from that?" The teenage Dean spoke up.

"Bobby," Mary cut in, "Can you take Dean back to the car?" Then addressing the teenager as she handed him off, "We will talk about this later, young man."

The older brothers felt a pang of sympathy for the boy.

After Bobby and Dean had felt the clearing, Mary turned to Sam and Dean and said, "Okay, let's go back to the part about me being dead."

"We should probably have left that part out," Dean said.

"Well, ya didn't so, what do you mean by dead?" Mary retorted.

"As is not alive," Sam said awkwardly.

"I mean how did it happen," Mary elaborated. She was hoping that maybe she could avoid it here.

"Demon," Dean replied.

"Can you be a little more specific?" Mary asked, "Sorry, I know it must be hard for you, but I'd really like to avoid dying early if I can."

"Actually I think you might have already accomplished that mission," Dean replied, "I mean, that kid was like, what, fifteen, sixteen?"

"Sixteen," Mary confirmed, "And stubborn as a mule. But was does that have to do with anything?"

"When you died I was four and Sam was six months old," Dean answered solemnly.

Mary was quiet for a moment. Then she swallowed and said, "So _that_ demon."

"Hun?" The hunters said simultaneously.

"Just because I didn't die didn't mean we all got out alive," Mary said solemnly.

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **1983**

 _Mary didn't know how she slept through the baby monitor going off. But she did._

 _However, John heard the fussing coming from Sam's room and went to see what it was. And he sure as Hell knew that wasn't his silhouette standing over his son's crib._

 _"Get the Hell away from him!" He shouted, charging at the man._

 _Suddenly, he found himself thrown across the room._

 _Mary was awoken by the sound of her husband's shouting. "John?" She said aloud and was answered with a pained, terrified scream. "John!" She shouted running down the hall to the nursery. She busted through the close door only to find an empty room. "John?"_

 _The room was eerily quiet and empty except for Sam who was now awake. Mary glanced around and pushed down the side of Sam's crib. "Hey, Sammy," She greeted, "You okay?"_

 _Something dark dripped next to Sam. On instinct, Mary touched it then two more drops fell on her hand. She realized that it looked like blood. She looked and to her utter shock and horror, saw John sprawled across the ceiling his stomach turning red with blood, staring down at Mary and struggling to breath. Mary collapsed onto the floor, staring at John, not believing what was happening._

 _"No!" She screamed, "John!"_

 _John busted into flame, the fire spreading over the ceiling. Mary just sat there frozen, until Sam wailed, reminding her that she wasn't alone. She got up, scooped Sam out of his crib, and rushed out of the room._

 _As she ran and two the hallway, she found Dean awake and coming to investigate._

 _"Mommy!" He shouted, alarmed by her panicked expression._

 _Mary shoved Sam at Dean. "Take your brother outside as fast as you can and don't look back, " She demanded, "Now, Dean, go!"_

 _Dean turned and ran. Mary ran back to the nursery. She had to save John._

 _"John!" She shouted again, but it was too late. She could barely see the man she loved._

 _"No!"_

 _Dean ran outside, holding Sam._

 _"It's okay, Sammy," The little boy assured his brother. He turned to look up at Sam's window, which was lit with gold. It wasn't so devastating and horrifying, it might have been pretty._

 _Mary ran outside, scooped up her children and carried them both away from the blaze. "I gotcha."_

 _The fire exploded out of the nursery window._

 _As firefighter fought to quell the blaze and the police kept the neighbors at bay, Mary looked up at remains of the fire, and holding her sons, one thought going through her mind._

 _This was her fault._

 **Swan Reservoir**

 **Present Day**

"You, see I had to make this-"Mary begin, a look of shame suddenly crossing her features.

"Deal with a yellow eyed demon after it killed dad to bring him back," Dean spoke up, "We know."

"How-" Mary began.

"It's long story," Dean replied.

"We have some time," Mary responded, "Don't we? At least tell me what they want with Sam."

The brothers exchanged surprised looks.

"A demon killed my husband in my son's nursery," Mary explained, "After I did the math, it wasn't hard to put two and two together. I've got my hands on a couple of demons who might have known something, but they didn't talk, and Sam-he's seems fine; a normal, well-adjusted kid. "

Again they exchanged looks. By their calculations Sam should be starting to get a little restless. Then they realized it: She wasn't raising her kids as hunters. Given her strong feelings on the matter, that would actually make sense, but...then what was Dean doing out here?

"You two okay?" Mary asked, when they took too long to response.

"Yeah," Dean answered, "We were just trying to figure some things out. Your Sam...does he know about any of this? What you do, I mean?"

"God, no," Mary exclaimed, "I wouldn't even had told Dean if he hadn't found out on his own. Tough I really should tell Sam something because I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm working of the mob...oh God."

"What?" Both Dean and Sam asked at once, wondering what was going on in her head.

"You're hunters," Mary said, "I mean, I already figured that from what you said about the witch, but...it's more than that. You were raised in the life, weren't you? And don't lie to me."

There was brief pause. "Yes," Dean said finally, "We were."

"Who?" Mary asked, "Who's bright idea was that?"

Neither Dean nor Sam responded.

"Please," Mary pleaded, "Just tell me."

"Our dad," Dean replied, finally.

"B-but," Mary stammered, "How? I never told him the truth-"

"He learned it from someone else," Sam spoke up.

"I'm gonna kill him," Mary said flatly, but with anger.

"Somebody already beat you to it," Dean replied nervously, "Look, in his defense, it's not like you're not kind of doing the same thing. I mean, when your Dean found out you didn't have to..."

"I didn't !" Mary exclaimed, "He snuck out and stowed away in Bobby's truck! Neither of us knew he was here until we found him the bed, then we locked him up in the motel and he picked the lock, which, I admit, I showed them how to do because I felt they still needed some basic self-defense skills, and things just spiraled out of control from there!"

"Oh," Dean said, "I see."

"Dean took what happened hard," Mary said, "And when I had to tell him truth, I made the mistake of telling him everything. Now he wants in, and I don't want him in and this keeps happening. He's even approached other hunters offering to help them, but they all had the good sense to turn him away." She sighed, looked down, then looked straight at the two men in front of her, "Am I doing the right thing, not letting him in? Because sometimes it feels like I'm just pushing him away."

"With this whole for want of nail, in spite of nail, thing going on, I can't really tell you," Dean said, "Though, there are some things we can clear up for you. Do you a pencil and paper?"

And so fifteen minutes later, Dean and Sam had written what could have very easily been a story layout for the hated _Supernatural_ books.

"Wow," Mary said, reading over the bullet points, "So, I have eleven more years to deal with this?"

"If it's like our universe in all respects expect for who died that night," Sam pointed out, "Though I don't see anything that says it wouldn't be."

"And I need to find this gun, that can kill anything?" Mary checked.

"It's with a man named Daniel Elkins now," Dean replied, "In Manning, Colorado, just like it says there. There's also summoning spell for the demon, but be careful there. It can backfire, big time."

"Thanks for the tip," Mary said, "And what about these other physics?"

"If you somehow stop yellow eyes before the date, we don't know," Dean answered, "Like I said before, a lot of this is subjective, and we can only tell you what we know from what happened in our lives. We can only guess what will happen if you manage to change anything."

"So that means you can't offer me a lot on the whole Apocalypse, thing," Mary reasoned.

"Yeah," Dean responded, "Yeah, we have no idea if this is going to have any effect on that, though hopefully it totally derails the whole damn thing."

"Thank you," Mary said, "Really. This...this is closer than I've been in twelve years."

"Just look after yourself, okay?" Dean requested.

"Been doing that for years," Mary replied, walking away, "Good luck, guys."

They watched her leave in silence, then tossed the ingredients together. This time it was Dean who read: " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind was actually kind of nice as it forced the tree branches hither and dither. As the light engulfed them, they hoped they did this universe some good.


	83. Another Distrubing One

**Special Thanks to Remember Ember for this request.**

When they came to again a bright light was blaring down on them. As their vision became clearer the realized it was uncovered light bulb.

They were in bare room with old pealing red paint on the walls. It wasn't completely decrepit, but it was on his way there.

They started to toss the ingredients into the bowl when they heard something from the other room go, _"Thunk."_ Then Dean's voice shout, "Damn it, Cas!"

In spite of themselves, Dean and Sam crept over to the doorway to see what was going on.

In what appeared to be a living the Dean, Sam and Castiel were gathered around a long object wrapped in cloth that smeared in what looked like it could possibly be blood.

"I'm sorry, Dean." Cas said softly, hanging his head.

"I'm sorry, Dean." Dean repeated in a mocking voice, "You use to be running all of Heaven. How is it that you can't even hold a corpse." He closed his eyes, and when he opened them they were back."

"I'd keep a civil tongue in your head demon." Cas threatened, "If you want to keep it."

Just then the Sam of that universe stepped in between the two. "Calm, down, the both of you," He said, before, turning back to Dean, "Look, I know you're annoyed, he annoys me too when he gets like this and I don't have any feelings, but turning on each other isn't going to get the dead body out of the house, alright?"

"Right." Dean said, leaning down and picking up the body, "Sorry."

"Just because I'm not all powerful doesn't mean I couldn't take his head off." Cas murmured, picking up the other end.


	84. Team Alliteration

Dean and Sam stared at the three on the other side in shock, confusion and a bit of fear. _"What is this?"_ They both thought. Dean was a demon, they got that much. Cas was apparently crazy, like the kind of crazy he was when declare himself God, only without the power. But how did that happen? And what was it with Sam acting like this was all so commonplace?

 **Salem, Massachusetts**

 **2010**

 _"I'm sorry, Sam." Dean whispered as he put the finial parts of the spell together_

 _He couldn't do it. He couldn't leave Sam down in torment down there. He barely made it two weeks at Lisa's before he bolted. He searched forever until he found a spell that, if the book was correct, could actually raise Lucifer, and therefore, Sam. He could figure out what to do after that later._

 _Aside from what he was going to do after he raised the Devil himself, the spell wasn't in any language Dean knew. Or a language anyone he knew, knew, for that matter. It in some sort of bizarre gibberish that almost made Dean's eyes bleed to look at, let alone read._

 _But still he recited the evil-sounding language with its hard constants, guttural sounds, coming out loudly and harshly. When he finished, for a moment all was still._

 _Then suddenly Dean collapsed to the ground and started convulsing violently. He was overcome with extreme pain, as if every torture he was put through in Hell was happening all at once. He let out a horrid, pained scream, then lost consciousness._

 _When Dean came to, he saw three ghastly figures that reminded Dean of the creatures he saw when he was bound for Hell, standing over him. He went for his weapons, but it was gone._

 _"It's alright, Dean." The creature, who oddly enough sounded like the crossroad demon Crowley, said, "Can I call you, that?"_

 _Dean just stared at them. "Crowley?"_

 _"Yes, it's me." Crowley, apparently, said, "You're seeing our true faces."_

 _"True...hun...what?" Dean responded, frightened and confused._

 _"Maybe it would be better if you saw for yourself," He said, then turning to one of his underlings, requested, "Hand me a mirror?"_

 _The demon did, and he handed it out to Dean. He took it and look and gapped as he looked at himself and saw he was one of the ghastly creatures as well. "Wha...how..." He look up at Crowley for answers._

 _It was then the demon saw the book. "Ah," He said, picking it up, "This explains everything. You say one word a little off, completely changes the spell."_

 _"Changed it to what?" Dean asked, though he was starting to get an idea._

 _"I'm sorry, Dean." Crowley said, "You're one of us now."_

 **LaPier, Illinois**

 **2010**

 _"So this is the place?" Dean asked, as he followed Sam into the building. Not that he had much choice, considering the warding on the cuffs._

 _"Yep." Sam said, "This is it."_

 _The other hunters in the room turned to stare at the pair. Finally the only female of the group tentatively stepped towards him. "Is this him?"_

 _"The idiot who turned himself into a demon?" Dean spoke up, "Yeah. Yeah, it's me." He flashed his eyes black, "You want a good look?"_

 _"No, I'm good." The girl said, stepping back._

 _"That's enough of that." A voice called out._

 _They call turned around to see a older man with a completely smooth head staring at the pair._

 _"Hi, Samuel," Dean said, a smug, mocking smile on his face, "Long time, no see."_

 _They band of hunters had found out about Dean's transformation a month before, while investigating a rash of possibly demon-related murders. Apparently after the incident, the new king of Hell had made Dean his hit man. His best one in fact. That was also how Dean found out Sam was alive._

 _"Why don't we take this into my office?" Samuel suggested._

 _"Sure." Sam said, "Good idea."_

 _The trio stepped into Samuel office, Sam locking the door behind him. "Sit him down there." Their grandfather, instructed, pointing to a nearby chair._

 _Sam guided Dean over to the chair and roughly set him down. "Come on, guys," Dean said, "Do we really have to put on a whole show? We all know how this is gonna end."_

 _"Look, it's nothing personal." Samuel said, "We just can't have you running around killing people."_

 _"Yeah, sure, that's it." Dean replied, "Can we just get this over with? Please?"_

 _"Sam, do you wanna leave the room for this?" Samuel asked._

 _"Actually, I was kind of hopping that-" Sam paused for a minute, "That I could be the one to do it."_

 _The room went silent for a moment._

 _"You sure about this?" Samuel asked._

 _"Yeah." Sam replied, "I am."_

 _Samuel picked up the knife, and handed it to Sam. "You want to be alone with him, or anything?"_

 _"No," Sam said, taking the knife. Then he turned to his brother, and said, "Sorry about this."_

 _"Me, too." Dean said, then suddenly he jumped from the chair, grabbing Sam's dominant hand, the one holding the knife._

 _The pair struggled for the weapon, moving towards the other side of the room, knocking over the desk. Samuel leapt into the fray, but Dean quickly pushed him aside. He then ripped the gun from his hand and turned around, stabbing Samuel in the stomach. Then he jumped on Samuel, and kept stabbing and stabbing long after Samuel was dead. When he finally finished he stood up, looked at his handy work, and said, "Well, I guess demon-killing knives works on humans, too."_

 _Sam just stared at him._

 _"Oh, don't look at me like that," Dean said, turning towards him, "I know you're not shocked, I know you're not horrified at what I've become. In fact, I know you don't feel anything at all."_

 _"What do you mean?" Sam said, still trying to put on the act._

 _"I mean, the minute I saw you again, I knew something was different." Dean said, getting up in his face, "I'm not sure what, but something happened to you in that cage. You just don't care anymore. I really think you don't have any feeling at all."_

 _Sam broke out into a sly smile. "You're right, Dean." He confirmed, "I don't feel anything, since I've been back. That's why I won't feel anything when I get that knife back."_

 _"Or," Dean countered, "You and I could blow this popsicle stand, grab a couple of bears, grab a couple girls, spill a little blood."_

 _Sam was quiet a minute, mulling it over. Finally he said, "I like the sound of that."_

 **Fin's End Tennessee**

 **2011**

 _Rachel quickly scanned the area as she walked through. There was no one there. She could safely do her check in without anyone bothering her._

 _At least that's what she thought until two blurs came out of nowhere and slammed her against the wall. When they became clear she saw the Winchester brothers, holding a knife to her throat._

 _"Hey, there." Sam said, "We were looking for a friend of ours, and we were told you were the one who could help with that."_

 _"I don't know what you're talking about." Rachel lied._

 _"Let's see if we can't jog your memory," Dean said, taking off one side of her jacket, "Sam, my hands are a bit full would you mind?" He gestured to the knife at her throat._

 _"Oh, not at all." Sam replied, pulling out his own blade._

 _Thirty minutes later, Rachel was ready to show him she stashed Castiel._

 _"He had to do things, in the war," Rachel explained, "And then with you two...I'm surprised he didn't crack before the incident. Fortunately he blew all his power a few large...rather violent acts, and we were able to suede him. Unfortunately his mind is completely gone. I was suppose to kill him, but...I just couldn't."_

 _She brought them to a room in the middle of the abandoned apartment complex, covered in warding. "Castiel," She called out, "There's some people who want to see you."_

 _She turned on the light, revealing the living room was covered in even more warding and there was a big ring of holy fire in the middle. And in the middle of that was ring was Castiel, looking much like he did the last time they saw him, but with one big difference._

 _His eyes were manic. Really manic._

 _"Hello, Dean." Cas said, "Sam."_

 _"Cas," Dean said, "Interesting decor."_

 _"Not my choice." Cas replied, glaring daggers at Rachel, "And rest assured, when I find a way out of here, you will pay for this insult."_

 _"He says something like that every time." Rachel commented._

 _"Actually," Cas spoke up, "I've heard you've gotten fairly good at slaughtering, do you think you could help me out for old time's sake?"_

 _Dean smiled. "Sure." The, he quickly turned and shoved his blade into Rachel's chest. Her eyes glowed briefly then she fell to the ground, after-images of her wings on either side._

 _"Now," Dean said, taking off his coat, "To get you out of there."_

 _He put the coat over the fire, and gestured to Cas. He stepped on the jacket, allowing him to cross when there had been flames. "I can't believe I never thought of that." He commented._

 _"Well, now you don't have to worry about that." Sam spoke up, "We'll do the thinking for you."_

 _"The three of us," Dean said, "Back together again."_

 **Small Town Tennessee**

 **Present Day**

"Hey, I think someone might be in the bed room." The evil Sam spoke up.

The others turned and spotted Sam and Dean through the crack in the door.

As the trio rand towards the quickly shut the door, Sam barricading it with a chair and his own body.

"You hold the door, I'll get the spell." Dean said, starting to throw things in.

Dean went as fast as he could. Meanwhile, the door was starting to crack under the weight of their assault. "Dean!" Sam shouted hurry up!"

"Almost there!" Dean said, pouring in the lamb's blood. Then he pulled out the book. " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind started to blow and they were engulfed in the white light, just as the door caved in.


	85. A Long, Long Time Ago

**AN: Special thanks to Remember Ember for this request.**

 **You know how in the disclaimer I said if you recognize it just assume I don't own it? That applies to other works of fiction as well.**

When they came to this time they were once again in a hallway. A hallway they heard voices coming down.

Fortunately they were far enough away to turn the corner and hide.

"You are a soulless, junkless -nerfheder!" They hear the Dean of the universe yelling.

They peaked and saw Dean chasing after Cas in the hallway. Both were guess in very warm clothing, and each had very sci-fi looking weapons at their sides.

"Sorry, Prince, but not sorry." Cas said, wagging a finger at Dean before walking out.

Prince?! Sam and Dean looked at each other. Suddenly there was an echo roar and heavy footsteps came down the hallway. Suddenly red-headed young woman with a cat-like nose, her body decorated in ornate lavender-grey birthmarks, walked up to them.

"Hey, Anewie." Dean said, "I suppose you're going to take his side in this?"

Sam and Dean looked at each other. "Holy crap, Sammy." Dean whispered, "I think we're in the _Star Wars_ universe!"


	86. In A Galaxy Far, Far Away

**Galaxy Space**

 **27 B.C.**

 _It was a time of civil unrest. The Rebels, scattered across the Galaxy had their first and possibly only victory against the Galactic Empire. As the battled raged on, the Rebels had managed to steal plans for the Empire's most deadly weapon, the Death Star, an armored space station rumored to have enough power to destroy an entire planet. Hunted by the Empire's menacing agents, Prince Dean was racing home upon guardian of the secret plans that could not only save his charges, but the entire Galaxy._

 _At least until they were attacked by star destroyer, who demanded they surrender and prepare to be boarded._

 _They answered back with laser fire, which wouldn't do much, wouldn't even buy them time, and The destroyer quickly fired their own laser bolts, thus damaging the ship. In a desperate bid to freedom, they quickly went into hyperspace, knowing they would be followed. After a barrage of fire, the destroyer's tracker beam clamped down on the ship._

 _The crew could do nothing as loud banging and metal sounded their doom. It took no times for lines of white-armored Storm-Trooper to stomp through the halls of the ship. Each side fired on each other._

 _Meanwhile, in the closet thing to quiet, hidden place at the moment, Prince Dean gently into a little blue and silver droid's storage compartment making the unit beep softly. "There you go." Dean said gently. It no longer mattered what happened to him anymore, the plans were the only thing to save them now. He would gladly give him life for the good of his people and the galaxy._

 _It was at that point a taller, gold-colored robot ran into the storage room in confusion. "R2?" He called out, "R2, where are you?"_

 _The droid by Dean beeped, and his friend turned to him._

 _Dean furtively looked behind him before pressing a few more buttons on R2. "Go to your buddy and do what I told you." He whispered to the droid, who rolled away almost leisurely, ignoring the other unit's panicked diatribe. In spite of himself Dean smiled as the R2 unit went off, much to the confusion of taller droid._

 _Now all Dean could do was hope his message reached the intended reviver, and quickly, before the Empire could intercept it. He pulled back his hood and determiminedly set off towards his fate._

 _After some sulking through the halls, Dean managed to hide in an alcove gripping a blaster in his hands watching the Storm Toppers search the ship. He know they were looking for him and the plans he had put in R2- D2 who if things went to plan should have been in the life-pods by then. At least even if he was captured the Empire still wouldn't get their fifthly hands on them._

 _Suddenly he heard a voice call out, "There he is! Set blasters to stun!"_

 _He jumped from his hiding firing place, getting a couple of shots off, hitting a Trooper. He darted down the hallway, but felt a sting as a paralyzing ray hit him. Three trooper's approach, one of them toeing his unconscious body."He'll be alright." The Trooper declared, "Tell Lord Vader we have a prisoner."_

 **Tattonine**

 **Several Hours Later**

 _Sam stood next to his uncle, watching as a motley crew of robots spilled out from the Jawa's Sandblaster. If he was being honest, he wasn't too impressed._

 _As his uncle walked up to the liner, egger to get it all over with, a voice from the house called out, "Sam! Sam!"_

 _He hurried over to house, leaning over one of the holes where a woman a few years older than him with sort sleek brown hair leaned out of the hole. "Sam, tell Dad if he gets a translator unit, make sure it speaks Bocce."_

 _"There doesn't seem to be a lot to chose from, but I'll let him know." Sam said, before hurrying back over to the Sandblaster, where his uncle was making his selection._

 _"Yeah, yeah, I'll take the red one." His uncle said, stopping in front of a gold-colored droid with a human shape, "I supposed you're programmed for edaqutte and protocol."_

 _"And translation." The droid added for some reason._

 _"What I need is a droid who can understand and translate moisture vapors." The uncle said._

 _"And Bocce." Sam spoke up, "Ava says we need someone who can speak Bocce." He looks over to the droid, "Do you speak Bocce?"_

 _"Well, yes," The droid replied, "I speak six million languages-"_

 _"Yeah, okay, I'll take this one," The uncle cut him off. He turned to Sam. "Take these droid to the garage; the need to be cleaned up before dinner."_

 _The boy's brow furred but he said, "Alright, let's go." He motioned to the droids and started to the garage. The golden protocol droid followed, and a droid in the line-up bleeped pathetically. Sam wondered if they knew each other. He paused as the red droid failed to follow, motioning to the little droid. "Come on, red, let's go." The robot set off towards the human slowly. As they got closer to the homestead, a piece of metal flew off the red one. When it started sparking and smoking, Sam stopped it before it could move a step forward. "Uncle!"_

 _The man turned around. "Yeah?"_

 _"This droid has a bad motivator. Look!" Sam pointed at the droid._

 _The uncle whirled on the head Jawa. "Hey, what are you trying to pull?!"_

 _As the head Jawa tried to explain, the little droid from a few seconds earlier hopped on his two little legs trying to get their attention. The gold one tapped on Sam's shoulder. "Sir, that blue droid over there is in much better condition, and quite cheap, too."_

 _Sam nodded, pointing at the blue droid. "Uncle, what about that one?"_

 _The uncle turned his attention back to the head Jawa. "What about that blue one over there? We'll take that."_

 _Grumbling, the Jawa switched out the blue for the red one, sending two others to bring it back to their vehicle._

 _"You'll be real happy with this one, sir." The golden robot said, still trying to make the sale, "He's in good condition; I've worked with him a lot."_

 _As Sam uncles paid the Jawas, the two robots followed the young man into the garage for cleaning. The taller droid looked over to the little one who was beeping and whistling happily. "You owe me."_

 _The two robots were quickly hooked up to the machinery that was suppose to clean and recharge them. The taller robot was lowered into a large vat of oil while the other was hooked up to the computer in order to recharge it. All was quiet and peaceful; the low ceiling gave the garage a cluttered, lived-in feeling to it._

 _"Thank the Maker," The gold droid exclaimed, "This bath is really going to hit the spot. I feel like I'm covered in sand."_

 _The little droid agreed with just as happily._

 _Sam sat in a chair a little ways from them, lost in thought. Most of his friends were off starting their lives while he was stuck on this desert planet, not doing much of anything except helping his uncle on the farm. He didn't mind the hard work, but it felt like every time he had an opportunity to start his own life, his uncle started to need him more and more. With the addition of these two new droids, his purpose was dewdeiling; his uncle would soon run out of things for him to do. What would he do then? He sighed and stood up. "I'm never going to get out of here."_

 _The gold robot looked over at him. The human's face showed signs of frustration and depression mixed with guilt. "Can I do anything to help?"_

 _Sam shook his head as he started working on the R2 unit. "No, not unless you can alter time, make it so we don't have to wait for the harvest, or teleport me out of here."_

 _"Sorry, sir." The taller droid replied apologitcly, "I can't help you there and anyone who can are long gone from here. At least on this planet, where are we anyway?"_

 _"Tatoonie." Sam supplied, "The furthest planet from a bright spot, and you can call me Sam."_

 _"I'm C3-PO, human- droid affairs." The droid introduced himself, "And this is my...partner, R2-D2."_

 _The little beep indignantly at his companion's anti-climatic introduction._

 _"Nice to meet you." Sam replied. He smiled at the little droid who beeped sweetly in reply. At least they were pleasant._

 _Sam unplugged him, and started to clean his dome, scrapping several connectors with a metal pick. While he scrapped the off compacted sand and debris from R2, he frowned. "You've got a lot of carbon scoring on you. It looks like you've seen some action."_

 _"I'm amazed we're still functioning, after everything we've been through." C3-PO said, joining Sam, "What with the Rebellion and all."_

 _Sam perked up. "You know about the Rebellion?"_

 _"It's how we got here, actually." C3-PO explained._

 _R2 bleep in agreement._

 _"Have you been in any battles?" He questioned eagerly._

 _"Several." C3-PO replied, "However, there's not much to tell, really. I was just the interrupter."_

 _Sam struggled to remove a piece of metal from R2. "It seems like something's jammed in here, were you on a cruiser, or-"_

 _"It came lost to with a snap, Sam fell back, and a twelve- inch hologram appeared on the floor beside him. He sat up as the figure, a white-robed young man, flickered in and out of focus._

 _"Help me, Robert Singer, you're my only hope." The young man implored._

 _"What is this?" Sam asked in surprise, his heart beating faster. R2 shifted nervously and beeped a soft response for C3-PO to translate for her. The figure kept repeating his plea for help over and over again._

 _"What do you mean, you don't know?" C3-PO asked in exasperation, "He asked you a question, what is that?"_

 _The droid pretended to just notice the feed, awkwardly beeping an explanation for C3-PO to translate while the hologram kept repeating the same sentence over and over again._

 _"He says it's just a malfunction, old data." C3-PO translated, thought he didn't really believe his companion. He had the strange feeling it had something to do with whatever had been going on back at the ship._

 _Sam's head tilted. "Who is he?"_

 _"He's Prince Dean of Alderaan." C3-PO answered, thought he wasn't sure it was the best idea to tell him._

 _"Is there more of this recording?" Sam asked, still staring at the figure. He reached out for the unit, drawing back as R2 franticly beeped and screeched._

 _"Will you calm down?!" C3-PO snapped, "You are going to get in a lot of trouble. He's our new master now, you have to trust him."_

 _Sam watched in bemusement as the little droid spewed a series of beeps and whistles almost laughing as C3-PO turned around to explain. "He says he is the property of the Robert Singer and that he lives here, it's private message meant just for him. I don't really know what he's talking about, our last master was Captain Antilles, I guess he's gone mad with all that's happened."_

 _R2 let out another string of beeps._

 _"What do you mean memory wipe?" C3-PO began._

 _"Robert Singer?" Sam wondered aloud, "I wonder if he could mean old Bobby Singer?"_

 _That got the droid's attention. "You know who he's talking about?"_

 _"I don't really know a Robert Singer, but I know of a Bobby Singer." Sam explained, "He lives out there beyond the dune sea. He's kind of a hermit, works on old transports. I wonder if that's who the little guy's talking about." Sam gazed at the hologram for a few minutes, "He sounds like he's in a lot of trouble; I'd better play back the whole thing. Please tell me there's more to this."_

 _R2 looked over to C3-PO and beeped, while the other droid translated, "He says the restraining bolt they put on her short circuited his system. If you remove it, he'll be able to play it back for you."_

 _"I doubt you'll be able to run away if I take it off." He took off the bolt, then the hologram disappeared. "Where'd he go?"_

 _R2 innocently beeped something that made C3-PO shirt in embarrassment. "What message?" The taller droid repeated, "The one you were literally just playing!"_

 _Just them his cousin's voice called out, "Sam? Sam! Came to dinner!"_

 _Sam pursed his lips, calling back, "I'll be right there, Ava!" He tossed the restraining bolt on the counter, "See what you can do about him. I'll be back."_

 _After Sam walked out of the garage C3-PO whispered to R2, "You'd better re-think playing back that message for him."_

 _R2 beeped at him. He replied "No, I don't think he likes you at all." After some more beeping for R2, he added, "No, I've never liked you."_

 **Tattonie Desert**

 **The Next Day**

 _The night hadn't gone very well for Sam after that. While he learned that apparently whoever this Robert Singer was he apparently known his father, as usual the subject of his father was met with hostility. His uncle had demanded R2's memory be wiped. Then when he went back to the garage to try to see more of the message, he discovered the R2 had ran off to try to find Robert Singer on his own._

 _Which lead to him and C3-PO flying through the desert on his old beat up Landspeeder. That got so far out that Sam was starting to get a little worried. "Old Singer lives out here somewhere, but I can't see how R2 got out this far. We have to had missed him-"His voice trailed off as he though he saw something, "Wait, there's something dead ahead on the scanner! It looks like our droid, hit the accelerator."_

 _Unbeknownst to the human and droid they had were being watched by Tusken Raiders, nicknamed Sand People by the local humans, notorious for being cruel hunters and scavengers. Everyone knew to stay far away from them, and their land, or anywhere close to their land, they extremely territorial._

 _It was a hunting party of two, watching at the top of the ravine behind a few boulders as the craft flew past. One of the raiders raised his gun, aiming at Sam, only to be stopped by his comrade. They got into a heated argument over how to proceed, eventually deciding to find out where exactly the pair was going, in case it lead to somewhere they could get some supplies, or weapons._

 _Sam jumped out of the Landspeeder as they came upon the little droid, looking furtively back and forth while strapping his laser riffle on his back. "Just where do you think you're going, R2?" He was anxious to get the droid in his speeder and all of the back home before anything worse happened._

 _R2 whistled feebly._

 _C3-PO huffed in annoyance, his hands on his hips. "Master Sam here is your owner now." He lectured his friend, "We are not listening to any more of this 'Robert Singer' nonsense...and don't start wining about your mission either. You're lucky he doesn't blast you into a million tiny pieces right now."_

 _"I actually, wouldn't do something like that..."Sam began, then realizing he had bigger issues at the moment, said, "We'd better get going. I've got to get you guys back home before uncle starts looking for us."_

 _"I suggest we turn this little fugitive off until we get back to garage, Master Sam." C3-PO said._

 _Sam shook his head, looking down at the little droid. "No, I don't think he's going to try anything else right now."_

 _He was pretty sure R2 go his drift when he bleeped lowly in reply._

 _As they made for the speeder, R2 stopped suddenly and let out a series of frantic screeches. He began rocking from side to side, causing Sam and C3-PO to stare in amazement. "What's with him?"_

 _Fearing something was wrong, C3-PO cocked his head and leaned closer to the blue droid. "Oh..uh, he says that there are a group of creatures coming from the southeast."_

 _Sam swung his riffle into position. "Raiders...or worst." He declared, "I'm going to scout ahead to make sure. They shouldn't be out here so close to other farmsteads."_

 _He carefully made his way up to the top of the ravine. Scanning the area with binoculars he spotted two riderless banthas, the beast of burden used by the Tuskan Raiders. C3-PO slid up next to him and Sam whispered, "I see two banthas down there, but no riders..." Suddenly he caught sight of one of them. He gasped, gripping the binoculars tighter. "They're down there. I can see one of them now."_

 _Suddenly a great mask loomed in front of his vision, and looking up Sam stared into the fathomless eye-holes of a raider's helmet. Take by surprise, C3-PO fell off the side of the ravine. Sam fell back, the rock behind him blocking any further movement as the raider shoved his gaffstick dangerously close to Sam's face. His blood turned to ice as thoughts of his impending death filled his head. Not only was he going to die without any of the answers he sought, but no one would know what become of him. Nobody knew he was out this far, save the two droid that would probably get lost in desert again. He would have just vanished. The raider stood above Sam, raising the stick above his head and letting out a terrifying cackle that echoed throughout the ravine._

 _R2 shoved himself into a small alcove made by the rocks surrounding him, watching as the two vicious raiders carried Sam's unconscious form. They dropped him in a heap on his own speeder, immediately setting to the work of ransacking it, tossing parts and various objects about. After a few minutes of scavenging, a light sound made the raiders freeze. There was silence for a moment then two loud blast erupted from a little ways off. It sounded like a great crack of thunder, and the raiders who were easily fooled, scurried to their mounts in haste, believing there was a storm coming._

 _The droid scooted back a little further as a hooded figure approached Sam's unconscious form, sitting their rather fearsome looking rifle down next to him. The figured pulled back their hood, revealed a tan bearded man with brown eyes. He looked down at Sam as if he knew the young man and the reason he had been out there._

 _Then, as if sensing the R2 Unit's presence, the man said, "Come out here, ya idjit. No need to be scared."_

 _R2 beeped tentively before scooting closer to Sam, watching as the older man gently laid a hand on the boy's forehead._

 _The man pulled back as Sam came to with a groan. "What happened?" He asked, confused._

 _"Settle down, son, you've had enough for one day." The man urged gruffly, "You're lucky you're still alive."_

 _Sam sat up, realizing who his savior was. "Bobby? Bobby Singer?! You will not believe how glad I am to see you!'_

 _"This place is too dangerous, Sam." Bobby warned, "What are you doing this far out?"_

 _"This droid." Sam gestured to R2, who scooted a bit closer, "He's trying to find his former master, Robert Singer. I think it's safe to say that you're who he's looking for. He left the garage around nightfall before I could bring him to you. There's a recording asking speficly for your help, and I have some questions of my own. For starters, who do you know who I am?"_

 _"Robert Singer," The man mused, "I don't go by that name now. Call me Bobby. I've never had a droid, so I don't know what he's talking about. We'll figure it out when we get to shelter. The Sand people may get spooked easily, but they will be back. With friends. "_

 _He helped Sam up and settled the little droid into the speeder, R2 all the while protesting Bobby's assertions that he didn't know him. "Not now." Bobby whispered._

 _To say that made Sam suspicious was an understatement, but he wordlessly helped Bobby gather up what parts they could find that fell off C3-PO and settle everything in his speeder before setting off towards Bobby's homestead._

 _Sam was mystified at the sheer amount of speeders and other transports and various states of repair and in some cases disrepair in front of Bobby's hovel making him even more ambivalent about entering the supposed crazy man's dwelling. Still he didn't have much of a choice, especially if he wanted to continue to allude the Sand people, so he followed Bobby inside. The space was cluttered with various objects, several which Sam wasn't sure where they came from, but was certain they were not native to Tattonie. The mysteries revolving around his host and their situation grew murkier with every object that caught the young man's eye. And it was starting to get annoying._

 _Bobby however, set right to work, placing himself on a nearby bench and motioning for R2 to come closer to him. "So tell me about this recording you mentioned." He requested of Sam as the little droid eagerly scooted closer to him. "Do you know who it was from? Did it say?" He looked R2's dome over carefully, clicking his tongue at the obvious damage._

 _Sam shrugged, watching the older man work on the droid. "I only saw part of the message. I guess he was-"_

 _"Found it." Bobby interrupted._

 _The hologram flickered on and Sam stared in amazement as the figure stood calmly before them, clasping his hands in a lose grip. "General Singer," He began," Many years ago you assisted my father in the Clone Wars, now he pleads for your help in our struggle against the Galactic Empire. It is my deepest regret to not give you this request in person, my ship has fallen under attack and I fear my mission to bring you to Alderan has failed. I have embitted information vital to the Rebellion in the R2 unit. It's not the best plan ever, but it's all I got. My father will know how to retrieve the information. I beseech your help to find this droid safely back to him. This is our gravest hour. Help me, Robert Singer. You're my only hope."_

 _There was a short sound of static before image completely faded away, leaving the room in total silence. Bobby leaned back, lost in thought as he folded his arms over his chest. Sam was processing all the information, the imagine of Prince Dean burned into his retinas._

 _"I know you said you had some questions, including how I know who are." Bobby said, after a minute, "But it's a very long story, one I don't want nor how time to rehash."_

 _Sam wanted to protest, to say he was owed an explanation, but he realized he needed to use a different approach. "Can you tell me...anything?"_

 _Bobby's contence softened a little. "Why don't you ask me a question, and I'll see if I want to answer it or not."_

 _Sam realized it was the best he was going to get. His eyes narrow. "You fought in the Clone Wars?"_

 _Bobby nodded. "Yeah, I was Jedi Knight. Same as your father."_

 _"That's not what my uncle told me." Sam replied, looking in surprise, "He was a navigator on spice freighter." He didn't mean to deny what the old man was saying. This was all just really sudden and it was heard to believe he was he was a war hero's son. His life revolved around harvesting water for God's sake! Not exactly the stuff they made songs about._

 _Bobby shook his head and sighed. "He didn't agree with your father's views." He explained, "Saw no reason to get involved in 'any fool's mission' that claim along. Didn't sit well with your uncle that he fought in the Clone Wars. Didn't set too well with anyone in fact."_

 _Suddenly overcome with a series of emotions, Sam looked away from Bobby, saying softly, "I wish I knew him."_

 _"He was the best star-pilot in the galaxy, and a clever fighter." Bobby told him, "He was a good man, a great friend." Bobby looked at the boy for a moment, shrewdly appraising Sam. "Which reminds me-"_

 _Bobby stood from his seat and made his way over to a storage box. Sam frown as he watched the ex-knight take out a slender metallic handle which he brought to the young man. "Your father wanted you to have this when you got old enough to use it." He explained, "I kept it for safe-keeping when your uncle made it known he wasn't going to allow it in the house. Thought you might take after your father and get roped into some crusade you won't be coming back from."_

 _Sam looked at the object with surprise, handling it in his grip gently. This was the only thing of his father's he had, the closet thing he had ever come to him, and he didn't even know what it was for."What is it?"_

 _"It was your father's lightsaber." Bobby answered, "The only weapon used by a Jedi Knight."_

 _Bobby watched fondly as Sam ignited the blade. The blade illuminated the room in a bright blue glow, humming softly, vibrating the very air around them._

 _Bobby couldn't help but grin. "For over a thousand generations, the Jedi were the keepers of peace throughout the galaxy. But that was before the culling, long before the Empire came into play."_

 _"How did my father die?" Sam asked, extinguishing the blade. He figured he hadn't been giving the whole story on that as well._

 _"Darth Vader." Bobby replied, frowning, "He was a former student of mind before he went to the Dark Side, helped the empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights, and now the Jedi are almost extinct. He betrayed and murdered your father. He was...I would say 'seduced' by the dark side of the Force."_

 _Sam's head titled. He knew a little bit about the Jedi from things he had heard around spaceports, but this was term he had never heard before. "The Force?'_

 _"Seriously?" Bobby sighed, "We haven't been almost extinct that long." He paused a moment before continuing. "The Force is what give the Jedi their power, an energy field created by all living things. It surrounded us, gives us the will to keep going. It binds the galaxy together, or at least, it use to." He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. After a long paused, he finally said, "I will have to teach you the ways of the force if you come with me to Alderaan."_

 _"Alderaan?" Sam repeated, "I can't go Alderaan. I gotta get home! I can't leave my uncle and cusion like this. He might have lied to me, but even you said he did what he thought was best. And Ava probably doesn't know anything about any of this." Even things were rocky with his uncle, Sam and Ava had always been close. If he left without a trace, she'd be devastated." I can't leave without-"_

 _"I need your help, Sam." Bobby replied, "That boy on the hologram needs your help. I'm getting too old for this sort of thing."_

 _Sam didn't say anything, trying to think. Too much was just going on at once._

 _"You want to harvest water for the rest of your life?" Bobby challenged, "'Cause that's what going to happen if you stay here."_

 _Sam looked down at the lightsaber, turning it in his hands. He had no clue why he was being so resistant to a way out of his situation. It was so unlike him. However, he couldn't pretend what yesterday didn't happen, he didn't see the recording ,and he hadn't learned that his entire life might have been a lie. He had to find this Prince Dean, and learn more about his parents and the Force._

 _"Okay. I'll go." Sam said. "But I'll have to tell my uncle and Ava. I owe them that much."_

 _Bobby nodded. "I'll go with you. After we'll talk to your family, we need to go to Anchorhead. There's bound to be a pilot there that can take us where we need to go."_

 _On their way back to the homestead, Sam caught sight of smoldering Sandblaster. Sam stopped in front of it and the group exited the speeder carefully, poking through the remains, gathering the small bodies. Bobby started a small fire, advising Sam and C3-PO to burn the bodies. Sam didn't understand the reasoning behind these instructions, however, since this man was apparently a war hero, there was surely some reason behind it._

 _After cleaning the site, Sam joined Bobby. "I don't get this." Sam began, "It definitely looks like the Sand People did this. There's gaffi sticks, Bantha tracks...but I've never heard of them doing something like this before."_

 _Bobby crouched down, examining the tracks with a furrowed brow. "Because they didn't do it. We're suppose to think they did, but these tracks here? They're side by side. Sand People ride single file to hide their numbers."_

 _Sam got a stick feeling in his stomach. "I think these are the same Jawas that sold my family the droids." He whispered._

 _Bobby nodded at the wreckage. "And the blast, too accurate for Sand People. Only the Imperial Storm Troopers are that precise. And even they aren't that good most of the time."_

 _Sam looked back at the droids for a moment. His heart started beating faster in his chest as he realized the implications of their find. "If they traced the droids here, then they have to had learn who they sold them too." He began, "That'd lead them home." Sam turned and ran for his speeder, jumping into it._

 _"Wait, Sam!" Bobby called after him, "It's too dangerous-" He sighed as the younger man sped off, leaving him alone with the smoking ruins and two droids. "Idgit." Then he started to run to catch up with the boy._

 _Sam drove as fast as he possibly could, his heart pounding against his ribcage at the mere thought of what he might find when got back to the farm. When he arrived his blood ran cold and he started shake at the sight of the smoldering wreckage where his home once had been. He jumped from the speeder the second he had it stopped, panting in fear and frantic calling out, "Uncle! Ava! Uncle!"_

 _He rushed to the corner of their homestead, looking around, desperately hoping that somehow his family was still alive. Then he found to his utter horror the charred remains of the only family she had ever known. Falling to his knees, screaming, he looked around the only place he had ever felt safe, feeling as though along with his family, his entire life had been burst to ash._

 _After what seemed like forever, Bobby arrived, running up to Sam. "Did you know?!" Sam demanded, "Did you know what was going to happen?!" As Bobby opened his mouth to talk, the young man grabbed him by the clock. Did you know my family was dead?!"_

 _"Hey!" Bobby said sharply, removing Sam's hands and grabbing his shoulders, "When it comes to the Empire, all bets are off. Look, even if we had known, there's nothing you could have done. Had you been there, you're would've died right along with them."_

 _Sam got to his feet and pulled away from Bobby, trying to get himself under control. When he felt he had calmed enough, he turned to face the older man, the smoke of wreckage curling around him as he vowed quietly, "I'll go with you to Alderaan. There's nothing here for me anymore." He clenched his fists, "Teach me everything you know. I want to be a Jedi like my father. And I want to make the Empire pay for this."_

 _Bobby nodded sadly. Had wanted his friend's son to learn about his heritage, but not like this. "Sure, kid. Let's get you out of here."_

 **Anchorhead Spaceport, Tattonie**

 **An Hour Later**

 _When they got to the spaceport, they were soon stopped in the middle of the crowed street by a pair of Storm Troopers. Sam scanned the area out of the corner of his eye and gulped. The place was crawling with the white-armored soldiers. The two that had stopped them sided up to the speeder, keeping their blasters in sight as one of them questioned them. "How long have you had these droids?"_

 _"A-About four or five seasons now, sir." Sam lied. He figured he should be polite, these weren't the kind of people one should mess around with, especially under the circumstances._

 _"They're for sale if you want 'em." Bobby added, keeping up the act._

 _"Let me see your identification." The Trooper ordered, sounding bored, but that didn't stop Sam from becoming nervous as he fumbled for his identification._

 _Bobby slowly raised his hand in front of the Trooper. "You don't need to see his identification."_

 _Sam froze and looked at the older man like he has lost his mind. Then the Trooper repeated naturally, "We don't need to see his identification." This caused Sam to gape._

 _"These aren't the droids you're looking for." Bobby added lowly._

 _The officer shook his head, saying to his companion, "These aren't the droids we're looking for."_

 _"Move along." Bobby grinned, settling back in his seat._

 _"Move along." The officer ordered impatiently, gesturing with his rifle, "Move along."_

 _They pulled up to a run-down cantina on the outskirts of town. They climbed out of the vehicle, Sam shooing away a Jawa that had taken in unwanted interest in it. "I didn't think we were going to get past those Troopers." He said, shaking his head in amazement._

 _"Those idjits?" Bobby shorted, "The weak-minded are not match for the power of the Force, son."_

 _When bartender spotted the group walking into the cantina, he shouted, "Hey! You're droids will have to stay outside! We don't serve their kind here!"_

 _Sam looked over to the droids awkwardly._

 _"That's alright, Master Sam." C3-PO assured him, "I do not require lubrication at the moment." Then he and R2 scurried out of the establishment._

 _The smoky, ranchous bar was filled with all manner of patrons. The slimly, the scalely the fur-covered, the clawed, the almost human, they were gathered together huddling over drinks and some grouping into little groups and speaking in various native tongues. Bobby hustled Sam to the bar and sat him down on a stool. "Stay here and keep quiet while I look for a pilot. Then he hurried off, leaving Sam to his own devices._

 _It probably wasn't the best idea._

 _The bar tender who had made the droids' leave approached him. "What'll it be, kid?"_

 _Startled, Sam fumbled, "Um, I'll-"_

 _"You'll have this." He interrupted, plunking a glass of a dark-colored brew in front of him. Knowing full well he shouldn't accept drinks from strangers, for some reason he stilled picked it up and took a sip. When his lips or anything else for that matter didn't burn and the room didn't start to spend, he figured it was okay. He leaned over the counter, surveying the cantina as best he could would while trying to stay unobtrusive. He was taken aback as a creature suddenly got into his face, screaming at him in the creature's native tongue. Since the creature was obviously drunk, Sam turned back to his drink, getting a rough shove for his trouble. A shorter male joined the drunk creature, shoving himself into Sam's personal space. "He really doesn't like you."_

 _"I'm sorry?" Sam replied, standing and backing up a few steps._

 _"I don't like you either." The man growled, "You best watch yourself, we're wanted men. We got the death sentence on twelve systems."_

 _The thing that bothered was Sam was that this guy sounded like he was pound of it. "I'll...be careful then." He said, trying to calm them down._

 _It apparently didn't work, for the man grabbed him saying, "You'll be dead!"_

 _Seeing his charge in trouble, Bobby shoved his way thought the crowd, putting a hand on the man's arm. "This kid ain't worth your time. Here, lemme buy you a drink-"_

 _The next few events happened so fast, Sam didn't exactly know what happened. With a powerful shove he was flung across the room landing with such force he saw stars. The foul creature that started the brawl pulled out a laser pistol, aiming it at Bobby's head. Bobby responded by whipping out his own lightsaber quickly, swiftly slicing off the man's arm off before he could get a shot off._

 _He stood there for a moment, his saber humming, daring anyone to mess with them again. After a few moment he extinguished the weapon, clipping it to his belt. The bar quickly went back to normal, except now they gave the old man a wider berth. Sam righted himself, rubbing his head, grateful Bobby was on his side._

 _At that time a petite young woman, with lavender-gray markings all over her body, an odd nose, and long red hair walked up to him extending a hand. Sam was somewhat hesitant given what just happened, but eventually he took it._

 _That was enough time to for her companion, a man in long a tan coat, with short-cute inky black hair, to notice them and march over to them. "Anewie, what do you think you're doing?"_

 _In response, the creature, Anewie, apparently, let out a long, strangely loud, roar._

 _"Yes, I know he needed, help I saw what happened." The man replied, "But his dad over there seems to have it under control." He gestured back to Bobby, who was making his way through the crowd, "And the last thing I need right now is first mate with one arm."_

 _That caught Sam's attention. "First mate? Are you a pilot?"_

 _The man narrowed his eyes. "What's it to you?"_

 _Just then Bobby arrived. "You okay, Sam?"_

 _"Yeah," Sam replied, "And I think I might have found us a pilot."_

 _And so, the group settled in dark booth in the back of the cantina. "So, apparently you're looking for a pilot." The man said._

 _"And apparently you are one." Bobby replied, "But a little more detail would be nice."_

 _"Cas Angelo." The man responded, "And you're friend already knows Anewie, here."_

 _"Bobby Singer." The other man began, then pointing to the boy added, "Sam Winchester."_

 _"So, what's the job?" Castiel asked, getting right down to business._

 _"We need to get to the Alderaan system." Bobby replied._

 _"Cargo?" Castiel asked._

 _"Just me, the kid, and two droids." Bobby replied, finishing the rest of his own drink, "No more questions about it, the less you know the better. The only other thing you need to know is that we need to avoid the Empire at all cost."_

 _Castiel leaned forward. "Doesn't everyone?" He commented, "Don't worry, I'll get you to Alderaan in now time."_

 _Castiel and Bobby shook hands. "It's a fast ship, then?" The older man commented._

 _"Fast ship?" Castiel sputtered, "You're telling me you've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?"_

 _"Should I have?" Bobby replied, not sounding the least bit impressed._

 _"Should you-" Cas began._

 _Anewie let out a roar as if to say, please don't get him stated_

 _Paying her no heed, Cas continued anyway," The Falcon is the only ship to make the Kessal run in twelve parsecs!" Feeling that wasn't invoking the awe he wanted, he leaned in, elbows on the table, "I've outrun Imperial starships, and not the bulky cruisers, mind you. I'm talking about those big Corlliean cruisers. Now, is that fast enough for you?"_

 _Bobby smiled slyly at the other man. "I guess so."_

 _Before they could go on, Cas eyes flickered to the entrance of the cantina where a Storm Trooper walked in with the creature Bobby had separated from his arm, who had left the bar a few minutes before. "Looks like you caught some attention." Cas said, gesturing to the pair, "I suggest you disappear for a bit. We're at docking bay ninety-four when you're ready."_

 _Bobby nodded, repeating, "Docking bay ninety-four."_

 _The four of them separated ways, Bobby and Sam ducking out the back exit, while Cas and Anewie, switch to the booth on the other side, hunching over there drinks to not attract attention._

 _After the Trooper left Anewie, departed for the ship, but Cas had wanted another drink before he started their new assignment. When finished the drink quickly and turned to leave, only to see one dark-skinned, stockily built man who would have appeared human except for his bright yellow eyes standing in front of him, smirking. Cas recognized him as bounty hunter named Uriel. He had dealings with the man during his work with a local crime boss, and he knew that if the man was here something bad was about to happen._

 _And he really didn't like the way he was looking at him._

 _Before Cas could leave Uriel rushed over to him, keeping his laser pistol trained on the other plan. "Where's the fire Angelo?"_

 _Cas pursed his lips sliding back into the booth, the bounty hunter sliding in next to him. "I was actually on my way to see your boss." He answered, "Tell Crowley I have his money."_

 _Uriel clicked his tongue. "It's too late for that, Angelo. You should have paid him when you had the chance. Crowley's put a price on you head so large, only a fool would pass it up."He grinned, his teeth flashing in the light, "Guess I'm lucky I found you first."_

 _Cas shifted and chuckled slightly. "Yeah, I got the money, Uriel. I just need to step up a meet with Crowley."_

 _"You know it doesn't work like that," Uriel said, mockingly regretful, "But...if you gave me the money, maybe I'll forgot I found you..."_

 _Cas snorted, flicking a smudge on the wall, pretending to be comfortable. "Well, I don't have it on me. Look, just tell Crowley-"_

 _"Crowley is done with you." The bounty hunter said seriously, the time for levity was over, "He's got no time for smugglers who drop their payload at the first sign of the Empire."_

 _"Oh, come on, even I get boarded sometimes." Cas replied, "I didn't have a choice."_

 _Gordon shrugged. "You can explain that to Crowley. Maybe he'll just take that lovely little Imolite of yours as payment.."_

 _Cas' face slowed completely, and he slowly inched towards the blaster strapped to his thigh, wrapping around the trigger. "Over my dead body."_

 _Cas and Anewie, had, had a deep, sibling-like bound ever since he had saved the creature from an unjust execution. The Imolite was loyal to a fault. He would be damned if Crowley or any of his bounty hunters got their filthy paws on her._

 _"Well, that's idea, man." Gordon leaned back in his seat, "I've been waiting to kill you for a while now. So-"_

 _Before the bounty hunter could finished, Cas fired. Uriel looked shocked for a moment, the light diming in his eyes as he slumped forward, his head hitting the table with a dual thud. Cas looked at the body for a moment. He needed a way out, and soon._

 _He silently stood, sliding out of the booth and reattaching the blaster to his thigh. He smoothly walked out of the cantina, the other patrons none the wiser. Even if he hadn't had put the silencer on, most of the customers were use to such violence. As he walked by the bar tender, he flipped him a few coins. "For the mess."_

 **Alderaan Space**

 **A Few Hours Later**

 _A large hologram stood before the Governor and Lord Vader, study the blue-hued surface with the intensity of a snake striking its prey. Soon, they would get the information they needed to strike down the rebels, and show the power of the Death Star. Two birds with one stone._

 _"We have entered the Alderaan system, sir." An officer announced._

 _Vader nodded silently at that officer and he and his comrade turned as the guards lead Prince Dean in._

 _The senator looked almost frail between the two armored guards, his hands bound before him and glaring at the governor with contempt. "Governor, I wish I was surprised that you are the one behind this. I could feel your presence the moment I was on board."_

 _"You don't understand how hard I found signing your death warrant." The Governor intoned, "I suppose we should thank you. You have just determined what planet we will be demonstrating our power on."_

 _Dean furrowed his brown in confusion, not noticing Lord Vader coming up behind him._

 _"Since you refuse to tell us the system where the Rebel base is located, we have decided to test our newfound power on...Alderaan." The Governor finished with a soft-spoken sadism._

 _Dean immediately went into a panic. "No!" He screamed, struggling against Vader's hand on pulling him backwards. "We have no weapons! ALDERAAN IS PEACEFUL!"_

 _"You'd prefer another target?" The Governor swooped down, his face inches away from Dean's face, his eyes boring into his soullessly, "Then name the system!"_

 _Dean's face froze his mouth clamping tightly. He couldn't tell them where the Rebels were, it would undo everything he had worked for all his life, to free the galaxy. But those people, his family, his whole world would be destroyed in one fell swoop if he didn't give them what they wanted._

 _The governor snarled, "I grow tired of your stubbornness, Prince. I will ask you one last time. Where is the Rebel base?"_

 _Dean shuttered as he overheard a computerized voice anouched their approach to Alderaan. He realized he could at least buy some time by lying. "Dantooine." He blurted out, then lowered his head in shame, repeating softly, "They're on Dantooine."_

 _"See Lord Vader?" The Governor smiled at him slowly, "Our little prince can be reasoned with." He turned to the officers, "Proceed as planned. Fire when ready?"_

 _"What?!" Dean's eyes widened, struggling even more now, "No! Please! I-"_

 _"Are far too trusting, my dear prince." The Governor shook his head, "Dantooine is too unimportant to be a successful target. Have no fear," He leaned closer to whisper in the young man's ear, "We shall deal with your Rebel friends soon enough."_

 _Dean's eyes slipped shut in grief and remorse, sagging under Lord Vader's hand. He failed, he did everything he could to keep his people safe and it was all for nothing._

 **Galactic Space**

 **Around The Same Time**

 _Sam was standing in the middle of the ship wearing a blindfold, holding a lightsaber at the orb-shaped droid hovered around him. The droid fired off a shot, which Sam deflected with a lightsaber._

 _Suddenly Bobby off as a bolt of pain lanced through his chest. He paled and grabbed onto the trail behind him for support._

 _Sam exstinghed his lightsaber and hurried over to the man, and even Cas seemed worried, heading over there as well. Sam picked up a nearby canteen, offering to Bobby, who took a sip._

 _Afterwards he waved them off, but while Cas backed away, Sam stepped closer. "What's wrong, Bobby? Are you going to be okay?"_

 _"I...felt a disturbance." Bobby whispered in pain, "Like a million voices cried out in fear...then were silenced." He put his hand to his head, leaning his elbow on the counter beside him, entering a brief healing chance for his aching head. He looked at Sam with a hard stare. "Better get back to your training, kid."_

 _Sam stared at Bobby as he closed his eyes again. After hearing something like that, how could he go back to training like nothing had happened._

 _Cas came back into the main room from where he had been working on the controls, plopping back into the pilot's chair. "I just cut ten hours off of our travel time by getting us into hyper-space ahead of seducible. We'll be in the Alderaan system in oh-two-hundred hours." He pursed his lips when received no response from his companions. "Nobody thank me all at once."_

 _While this was happening Anewie, had become engrossed in a chess game with R2, which C3-PO was watching. The Imolite was certain she was about to win, leaned back in her seat in a satisfied position._

 _However, R2 had other ideas, putting Anewie, in check. The creature roared, claiming droid had cheated._

 _"How he cheat?" C3-PO defended his friend, "That was a fair move, sweetheart, wining about it isn't going to help."_

 _"Just let her believe what she wants." Cas interrupted, "It's not smart to upset a Imolite."_

 _C3-PO scoffed. "But nobody cares about upsetting a droid?" He was getting a little tired of being treated like a second-class citizen. At best._

 _Cas smiled. "Droids don't rip people's arms out of their sockets if they lose. Imolites are known to do that. Especially this one."_

 _As if to back up her friend's point, Anewie, roared ._

 _C3-PO turned to the little droid. "Let the Imolite win."_

 _Sam returned to practicing his lightsaber forms._

 _"Just remember." Bobby said, "A Jedi can feel the force flowing through him."_

 _"You mean it controls you?" Sam questioned, combating the blows of the tiny droid floating around them._

 _"At times it controls your actions." Bobby corrected him, "But ultimately it bends to your will."_

 _"Yet a blaster solves every problem." Cas commented mockingly, watching the pair._

 _"I take it you don't believe in the Force." Sam replied._

 _"Sam," Cas rolled his eyes and sighed, "I've traveled from one side of this galaxy to another, and, kid, I've seen a lot of crazy things." He leaned over to face them in all seriousness with his elbows on his knees, "But not a God-damned thing I've seen made me believe there's some all-powerful force out there controlling everything." He put his hands behind his head as he reclined in his chair, setting his feet on the counter beside him with a thump, "There's no all-knowing energy field out there that controls my destiny."_

 _Bobby smiled ruefully shaking his head. Order 66 had only happened nineteen years before. He couldn't believe everyone had forgotten so quickly._

 _"I have to ask, though." Cas replied, "What's with the blindfold?"_

 _"The eyes will play tricks on you." Bobby answered, "You can't trust 'em. His instincts will take over."_

 _Cas laughed as Sam swung wildly, the droid anticipating every move and swerved away accordingly. It fired a blot to the side, and he moved out of the way._

 _Just before Sam could slice at the offending droid, Bobby interrupted, "Again. And this time, use your head."_

 _Sam bit his lip, settling down in a fighting stance Bobby had shown him before they started with the droid, freezing in place as the robot whirled around him. A tense silence filled the room, making Sam slightly self-conscious as he knew everyone was watching._

 _Just as the droid made a sharp spun at him, he smoothly spun and deflected the bolt. It ceased fire and swung back into position._

 _Bobby smirked, "See? I knew you could do it."_

 _Cas snorted. "Luck."_

 _"No such thing as luck, kid." Bobby replied._

 _"If you say so," Cas huffed, "Look, going up against a droid is one thing, but going up against a living being is something else entirely." In Cas' experience, living beings could be rather unpredictable at times. You also have to deal with killing them, if you do. He wasn't sure this kid could handle that._

 _Just then there was flashing light on the console beside Cas. "Looks, like we're coming up an Alderaan." Then he started working at the controls again._

 _Sam pushed up the banana as he walked up to Bobby. "You know, I felt something back there...for a minute there it was like I could see the droid."_

 _Bobby grinned and slapped him on his shoulder. "That's good, kid."_

 _They descended from hyperspace, slowing down, but shaking violently, asteroids flying at them. Cas gapped, maneuvering the ship around the flying rocks. "What the Hell?! This isn't on any of the charts!"_

 _The Imolite roared, pushing a few buttons over her head._

 _Sam walked up to the controls, gripping the back of 's Anewie's chair to steady himself. "What's going on?"_

 _"We're in the right place, but no Alderaan." Cas answered, working at the control._

 _"What do you mean?" Sam asked, "It's not like a planet can just fly away."_

 _Cas glared at him. "I know that, kid. But it isn't there."_

 _"But how?" Sam responded._

 _"Destroyed." Bobby said quietly behind them, "By the empire."_

 _Cas shook his head. "Not possible. It would take a thousand ship, more fire-power than that combined, and-" His voice trailed off as an alarm sounded, "There's a ship gaining on us. Just when I though this couldn't get any worse."_

 _"Maybe they'll know what happened." Sam suggested._

 _"It's an Imperial Fighter, damnitt." Cas cursed. As an explosion rocked the ship Cas pursed his lips. "There's no base around here. Where the Hell did it come from?"_

 _Cas made a split second decision, setting after the tiny Imperial fighter, swinging around the asteroids perfectly. Ahead of them, a star grew brighter as they came towards it._

 _Bobby's gripped the back of Cas' chair in concern. All would be lost if this was some cleverly placed trap."Fighters that size couldn't get out into deep space on their own."_

 _"It could've gotten lost." Sam speculated, "Maybe have been part of a search party or something."_

 _"It's not going to be around long enough to tell anyone about us." Cas said, "That's an Imperial TIE-Fighter, Sam. They aren't out here to find anybody; they're here to pick off survivors."_

 _Sam gulped. "I have a bad feeling about this.'_

 _The Millennium Falcon grew closer, the Imperial Fighter losing ground to the much larger ship. As they drew closer, the star resembled a large moon, gray and foreboding. Sam stomach roiled in fear. He could sense something not right about that moon, and he knew the others sense it as well._

 _Sam squinted at the smaller ship. "Look at him go, he's heading for that moon."_

 _Cas pushed the targeting button. "I think I'll be able to get him. He's almost in range"._

 _After a few minutes, Bobby paled. "That's no moon." He declared, "It's a ship."_

 _And indeed, that was what it was. A big gray battle station the size of a moon. Suddenly Cas felt a helplessness inside him he couldn't fight back. If there was one TIE fighter there was bound to be more guarding the base. Many more if the base's impossible size was any indication. He couldn't go back, but he couldn't go forward for fear of the Imperial forces. He had a responsibility to keep everyone on that ship shape, even though his new clients seemed to be the source of all his immediate problems._

 _"We've got to get out of here." He declared, ", Anewie, lock the auxiliary power for full reserve."_

 _Anewie, nodded and silently pulled a lever beside her, pushing a red button next to the steering column. The Falcon shuttered, then the TIE fighter sped away towards what they had just figured out was a battle station._

 _"Guys, why are we still moving?" Sam asked worriedly._

 _"'Cause we're caught in a tractor beam." Cas answered, "Damnitt, they're pulling us in!" He smacked the dashboard in front of him in frustration._

 _"Okay, new plan." Bobby spoke up, "Everybody do exactly what I tell them."_

 _When the Storm Troopers boarded the ship, they were baffled to find it completely empty. Well, it wasn't completely empty, but it was without cargo, or passengers or even a crew, which was what they were looking for. Which was disappointing because the hope was this was either a misguided attempt to rescue any survivors, or the plans. After looking at the logs, they found an answer._

 _All focus turned to the officer that emerged from the ship, one hand holding the hatch above him. "There's no on board Lord Vader. The log states that the crew abandoned ship just after take-off, and there are several escape pods, jettisoned. Looks like engine trouble."_

 _"Did you find any droids?" Vader questioned._

 _The officer shook his head cringing as the black-cloaked man clenched his fist in anger. Sweeping his hand across the ship emphatically, Vader commanded, "Get a scanning crew on board. I want every room of this ship checked!"_

 _After the troopers left a panel was removed and group of humans, droids and one Imolite poked their heads up. Cas was the first one out._

 _"So lucky you had these hidey-holes." Sam said, climbing out of the compartment. Anewie, rolled out of hers and lent Bobby a hand out of his, everyone dusting themselves off._

 _"Use them for smuggling." Cas explained as he closed the compartments. He threw his hands in the air. "This is crazy! Even if I could take off safely right now, we'd never get past the tractor beam."_

 _"Just stick to the plan and everything will turn out." Bobby growled. He was starting to get tired of this guy._

 _When the scanning team got there, the group hid. When they team got their they jumped, knocking the group unconscious. Then Bobby called out, "Hey, uh, could you give a hand with this?"_

 _The droid enters and the rag-tag team of misfits hid again. After a few minutes of looking for the crew, the Trooper opened the door, revealing Anewie holding a blaster._

 _One drew his gun from under the counter while the other fumbled for his blaster. Anewie quickly shot the man out of the counter while Cas, dressed in s Storm Trooper uniform, strode through the doorway and shot the other man._

 _After a heavy silence filled the room Bobby, Sam and the droids entered, all wearing the same uniforms. Sam ripped off his helmet, wearing a very angry expression. "Did you really have to shoot them? Why couldn't we just knock them unconscious?"_

 _Cas took his own helmet, cocking on eyebrow. "Because we are put in a very dangerous position, Sam. We shouldn't be here, they know that, and they are going to take out the threat, meaning us. Besides, I had it set to stun."_

 _"Still though, all that blaster fire just now?" Sam responded, "I'm surprised the whole station hasn't come after us."_

 _"Bring it!" Cas growled, his arms stretched out, "I'd prefer that to all this sneaking around, at least we'd know what we would be dealing with."_

 _Anewie rolled her eyes, making Sam feel it was alright to do the same._

 _Bobby made his way over to the computer as the others gathered up the guards, tying them up and setting them in a closeted off alcove beside the door. C3-PO and R2 busied themselves with the control panel on the other wall. The little droid started beeping excitedly at what she found after a few moments. C3-PO jumped when he turned around to see the four men looking at him in question. "Oh...Well, he says that he can download the whole readout of the Imperial space station. No problem."_

 _"Well," Bobby spluttered, "Plug him in, then.""_

 _R2 slid his clawed arm into the computer's console, lights twinkling in the room as the network was downloaded into his compact frame. After a few moments, he beeped and C3-PO turned to the men. "He says that he's found the main computer that powers the tractor beam, and he's going to pull it up on screen."_

 _The men grouped around the computer screen C3-PO pointing to the key points, explaining, "There's a main reactor here, what the tractor beam is connected to, divided into seconds. If any of those terminals lose power, the tractor beam is useless."_

 _Bobby leaned back in his seat. "I'm going in alone."_

 _"No way!" Sam exclaimed, "Bobby, there are hundreds of soldiers out there. You'll never make it without back-up. At least let me go with you."_

 _"I can't let you do that, son." Bobby said, moisture misting in his eyes in spite of himself, "I need you to stay here and see this mission through. These plans have to get to the Rebels or other star systems are gonna end up just like Alderaan. I need you to see this through, Sam. Your destiny is on a different path than mine. May the Force be with you."_

 _With that, the older man turned and raced down the hallway towards the reactor that controlled the tractor beam._

 _"May the Force be with you Bobby." Sam whispered as he faded into the distance._

 _The silence was broken as R2 started franticly beeping. They looked over to find him rocking back and forth with glee._

 _Sam frowned, questioning "What's with him?"_

 _"I don't really know." C3-PO replied, "He just keeps saying 'Oh, great Maker, I've found him' and 'He's here! He's really here!'"_

 _"Well, who is he talking about it?" Sam asked in annoyance._

 _"And who is this Maker?" Cas added, "Did I pick some sort of church group?"_

 _"He's says it's Prince Dean." C3-PO translated, "And that I should have already guessed that, because who else would he be so excited about?"_

 _Sam's eyes widened. "Prince Dean...He's here?!" He knew the young man that started this whole thing had been attacked just before sending out the droids, but to find out that he was imprisoned on this battle station was frightening. How were they going to find him? How were they going to get him out safely while stimoutianously escaping the battle ship themselves?_

 _He started pacing the room in an attempt to focus. His mind was swirling with possibilities._

 _"A prince?" Cas asked, straightening up, "What the Hell is going on? You all never said anything about any prince."_

 _C3-PO turned back to the little droid whose beeping had taken on a new panic. "He's on Level Five in dention block 'A' one-twenty-three." He translated, "He's...he's scheduled to be terminated."_

 _The shock chilled Sam to the bone. "Terminated?" He repeated, "No, we have to do something!"_

 _Cas folded his arms. "Here's a thought, why don't you 'do something' and tell me what's going on."_

 _"R2 belongs to Prince Dean." Sam began, gesturing towards the droid in question, "He sent a message to Bobby and I accidently opened it, and that's basically the reason we're all here." Sam looked as Cas imploringly, adding, "I need your help to get him out of here."_

 _"You're not serious." Cas responded._

 _"If we don't do anything they're gonna kill him!" Sam argued, "We can't just leave him here."_

 _"Look, it's regrettable, but if we go out there, we're as good as dead, too." Cas replied, turning around._

 _Sam decided to try it from another angle. He was dealing with a mercenary after all. "He's rich."_

 _"Or he was before his planet blew up." Cas countered._

 _"He was also senator, he had to had accounts somewhere off-world as well." Sam pointed out, "A captured prince means reward money, no matter how you slice it."_

 _That perked Cas' interest. He could use that money to pay off Crowley and finally be free of that sickening Hell hole. He knew he was going to regret saying what he was about to say. "You got a plan?"_

 _Three minutes later, Cas and Sam dressed in Strom Trooper uniforms, Anewie, slumped in-between them, seemingly held in binders. They stood at attention as various people strode down the hallways, holding their guns clenched. As the elevator dinged, they huddled into the crucible, shooing away an officer who tried to join them. The three stood silently, the tension so thick Sam was sure he could cut it with his lightsaber. The young man wasn't sure how they were going to pull this off, but he was willing to do anything to find Dean. He was thankful that Cas and Anewie, were willing to help him, even if he had to twist Cas' arm, as he knew he couldn't succeed alone._

 _Sam looked over at Cas, his helmet almost too tight. "I can't see a damn thing!"_

 _Judging by the heavy snort from the man, Cas thought it was funny, but it was slightly bothersome to the younger man._

 _When the elevator stopped at the detention level, they stepped through, noticing the guards and the laser gates. Cas gripped his gun tightened, stepping beside them. "This is totally not going to work." He whispered._

 _Sam made a panicked sound in the back of his throat. "Why didn't you say anything before?!" His heart was beating wildly in his chest. If the gun-touting psychopath thought it was a crazy plan, what made Sam think he could go along with it?_

 _Cas growled, turning to face Dean spitting out, "I did say so!"_

 _An officer walked up to them, clearly feeling very important with his little clipboard. He looked down at his notes, than back to Anewie, and frowned. "Where are you taking this...Imolite?"_

 _Anewie,'s immediate growl tapered off into a grunt as Cas elbowed him sharply in the stomach._

 _Sam stepped forward, spouting, "Prisoner transfer from block one-one-three -eight."_

 _The man looked down at his clipboard and Sam shrugged as Cas full-body turned to face Sam in surprise. The younger man honestly didn't know where the idea or sudden confidence came from._

 _The officer frowned, taking a few steps backwards. "Well, I wasn't notified. I'm going to have to call this in." He moved to the console, and started pressing a few buttons._

 _Cas scanned the situation sharply; three guards, including the idiot with the clipboard, laser gates that Anewie could easily shut down along with the alarms, and cameras he could destroy with a few well-aimed shots. He shared one look with Chewie, one the creature could easily see through the helmet. Anewie nodded, and Cas nudged Sam to 'just go along with it.'_

 _With a quick flick of the wrist, Cas nudged on side of Anewie's cuffs open further, nodding to Sam who took a quick breathe. The Imolite rolled her eyes before throwing her arms in the air, letting out the most terrifying call any of them had ever heard. When Anewie went wild, she did not mess around. The she grabbed Cas' laser riffle, and shoved him hard in the chest, sending the man flying._

 _"We're all gonna die!" Cas screamed, laying it on thick._

 _Sam had no clue how these two survived this long. Figuring he might as well enjoy his last few moments of life, he belted out, "She's doing to tear us all limb from limb." He was surprised at how good it felt._

 _"Get her!" Cas yelled._

 _The guards stood in stunned silence momentarily, until Cas and Sam started shooting wildly, Cas taking out the cameras. Sam wounded one of the guards, scorching the wall in a process, while Anewie took out the laser gates._

 _The group made quick work of the guards, standing in the middle of the room as the smoke cleared._

 _They heard a panicked voice coming through the speakers, and Cas rushed to the computer, taking off his helmet. He quickly scanned the readout. "The prince is in cell twenty-one-eighty-three." He whispered, turning towards Sam, "Go, go, go!"_

 _Sam jogged down the hallway as Cas grabbed the microphone, clearing his throat before saying in an official tone, "Everything is all under control. Situation...uh...normal. Over."_

 _"What's going on up there?" The voice on the other end demanded._

 _Cas' eyes widened, nervous sweat breaking out on his forehead. "Uh...Weapons malfunction!" He tried, But, eh, everything's fine now. We're fine, we're all fine here, now, thanks uh...how are you? Over."_

 _Anewie sent him an exasperated look._

 _'I'm trying my best here.' Cas mouthed back to her._

 _"We're sending a squad." The voice on the other end responded._

 _Uh, no negative." Cas said quickly, "Over. We," He made a static sound into the microphone, "Reactor leak! Krssh, few minutes to lock it down...krssh large leak...krssh dangerous."_

 _The voice on the other end was starting to get suspicious. "Who's this? "What's your operating number?"_

 _Cas stepped back and shot the console, sparks flying everywhere as it exploded. "Waste of time." He said to himself, then called out, "Sam! Company's coming!"_

 _Sam skidded to a halt as he came upon the cell. He raised his rifle and blew the lock. When the smoke cleared he saw the young man from the recording slumped on the bench. Dean lifted his head blearily saying, "Aren't you a little tall to be Storm Trooper?"_

 _"That's 'cause I'm not." Sam replied, taking off his helmet, "You majesty, I'm Sam Winchester, and I know, you probably have no clue who I am, but I'm here to rescue you."_

 _"Oh." Was all Dean could think of to respond._

 _"Are you okay?" Sam asked, "Did they hurt you? Apart from-" His voice trailed off, "Well, you know. Probably."_

 _"I do." Dean said, "I'm fine. I guess torturing me anymore would defy the point of sedculing an execution. Look, not that I don't appreciate the risk you took for me, you should all get out of here while you still have a chance."_

 _"What?!" Sam balked, "No way! I'm not leaving you here. Not after everything I've been through to find you."_

 _"I'm sorry for that." Dean replied sincerely, "But I deserve what's coming. I've failed everyone. My parents, my world...the entire Galaxy."_

 _"Okay first off," Sam began, taking a few steps towards the other young man, "What happened to Alderaan was not your fault. Anyone who builds a device that can blow up a whole planet is completely psycho and nothing you could've done would've stopped them. Second, you can still get the plans to the rebellion. The droids are fine."_

 _Dean looked up at that. "Someone has the droids?"_

 _"Yeah, I do." Sam replied, offering a hand to help Dean up, "That's kind of how we got here. Look, we can sort it all out when we get back to the ship."_

 _"Ship?" Dean asked, taking the offered hand up, "How-"_

 _Sam sighed. "We're really doing this now, when there are people on the way to kill us?" He asked, "OK, short version, found the droids, found the message, found Robert Singer-"_

 _"Robert Singer is here?" Dean interrupted, "In this battle station?"_

 _"Yes!" Sam exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air, "Can we go now?"_

 _As the pair ran down the hallway, they could hear riffle fire, something crashing, and explosions. What had happened? Had the troopers already arrived? Were Sam's compatriots dead?_

 _The answer to that was no, as Cas appeared, skidding to a halt in front of them. For a moment they all seemed to stare at one another. Sam was giving him a questioning look, silently demanding to be filled him on what was happening, but Cas barely registered him. He couldn't look away from Dean, and neither could the Prince, even in the middle of the gunfight. Sam might have warned Cas that the little rebel looked so fetching. The smuggler opened his mouth, hoping to introduce himself, or at least say something at least halfway more intelligible than what came out, which was, "Uh...we can't go that way."_

 _The man beside Sam narrowed his eyes, and Cas thought it was the most adorable thing until he talked. "This is what you call a rescue? Our only hope of escape is cut off, there is nothing behind us but more cells, and there's nothing behind you but troops ready to carry us all off to Vader and his mercy, which I think we already established he doesn't have much of. Thank the Gods you were here to rescue me, I don't know what I would do without you."_

 _"You wanna go back to your cell?" Cas bit back, "'Cause I can arrange that! "_

 _Just then Anewie appeared letting out a roar as she fired at their attackers. Sam bucked behind the Imolite, popping out at her side to fire at the troops. Cas took a positions behind another alcove across from his partner. Dean yelped as Cas slapped an arm across his chest, slamming him into a metal wall, and the smuggler winced at causing the young man anymore pain._

 _After a few minutes, it was clear they were at an impasse, and Sam pulled out his comlink, hopping C3-PO would be able to hear him. "3-PO! 3-PO, answer me!"_

 _The sound was starchy, but soon Sam could hear the droid's mechanical voice. "Yes, Sam?"_

 _"We've been cut off, is there another way out of the cell bay?" There was slight static, and Sam shook the comlink, yelling, "What are you saying?! I can't-'_

 _C3-PO stomped at he paced the floor, R2's frantic beeping only serving to further irritate him at that point. "I said, everyone's been alerted of the prince's escape. We couldn't get information on your level, all of it is restricted, and the main entrance seems like the only way in or out."_

 _He looked up at the sound of someone knocking at the door waving to silence R2._

 _"What's going on in there?" A voice asked from the other side._

 _"Oh dear!"_

 _Smoke soon filled the corridor, and Sam started to cough, raising his voice to be heard over the blaster fire, "3-PO says there's no way out!"_

 _"We can't hold them off forever, you know!" Cas shouted back, "There has to be some way out here, we just have to find it!"_

 _Dean's head popped up, looking at Cas in surprise and anger. "You mean to tell me, that you came all this way, and have no idea of an exit strategy?!"_

 _"Don't go blaming me for all of this, sweetheart." Dean growled, pointing at Sam, "He's the one that came up with plan, not me."_

 _Sam chuckled nervously and shrugged, saying, "Well, I didn't exactly think it all the way through-"_

 _"Oh, for the love of all that's holy!" Dean gritted before leaping across the narrow corridor, picking up a discarded blaster. He whirled around to aim at the grate just across from him in a smooth motion that surprised and pleased Castiel for reasons he didn't want to examine at the moment. He fired, just barely missing the smuggler and blowing out the grate._

 _"What the Hell do you think you're doing?" Cas grossed, though he knew it was his own fault for ogling the boy whether than getting out of the way._

 _Dean just glared back at the man before saying, "We needed an exit. Now get into the garbage shoot. He fired at the troops before tossing the blaster at Sam and jumping into the shoot himself._

 _Cas gapped a moment, before covering his companions as they descended into the hole. Then he blasted off a couple of carbon shots to fill the corridor with smoke before joining them._

 _He cringed as he landed on something that squished awfully under his boots, the noxious odor making him want to gag. He looked up to see Sam sloshing through the muck towards a large door._

 _Cas rolled his eyes. "This place is a whole new level of disturbing." He began, "Who puts a convientely placed garage chute grate in a detention area? Well, I'll just blast the thing and we'll be out of here. Out of the way, kid." He raised his blaster, not noticing everyone's eyes widened._

 _"Don't!" Sam warned quickly, going to grab the blaster, "I've tried it already. The room is magnetically sealed."_

 _"When did you have time to do that?" Cas questioned, fighting to keep his weapon, "I barely got in after-"_

 _"Oh, just put that damn blaster away!" Dean snapped, "You are going to get us all killed!" While the Rebels weren't perfect, they were more organized than this, so it was starting to grade on him._

 _Cas threw up his hands. "Certainly, Your Worshipfulness." He marched over to Dean, getting in his face, "I had this whole thing under control until you had to go all commando and blast a hole in the wall! It's not going to take them long to find out we're down here. Great plan."_

 _Dean folded his arms and huffed. "Well, it could be worse-"_

 _He was interrupted by a low inhuman moan from the sewage water. Cas sighed as he pointed his blaster at the water, all the while glaring at the prince, "I can't believe you just said that."_

 _Sam's eyes widened, pointing a blaster at the water a couple inches away from his feet. "There's something down there!"_

 _Cas held his hand up, trying to calm the young man. "It's just your imagination."_

 _"No, it's not!" Sam exclaimed, the blaster shaking in his hands, "I moved past my leg, I just saw it!"_

 _Cas froze as he saw something trailing under water, objects moving in the current it left behind. He gulped._

 _"Sam," Cas began, "You might want to-"_

 _But before anyone could do anything, Sam gasped as something pulled him underneath the water. Cas stumbled to the edge of the trash heap, throat clenched tightly in shock, shoving his arm into the water. The kid was from a desert planet, he couldn't make it under the water for that long. He most certainly couldn't swim if it came down to it. "Sam!"_

 _The young man surfaced for a few short moments, a tentacle wrapped around his neck and upper body._

 _"Sammy!" Dean screamed, grabbing a metal pole and thrusting it towards Sam failing hand._

 _He grabbed, it, struggling with the tentacle while trying to pull his body out of the water. "Shoot it!"_

 _Cas fired his gun downward as it no to hit the younger man. Dean fell backwards as Sam's group on the poll loosened and he was pulled back underwater again. Cas cursed, shoving his gun into his belt kneeling at the edge again calling out, "Sam!"_

 _Everyone froze as the walls shuttered, moving inward a couple of inches. Everything fell silent; the only sound was their frightened painting. Cas looked up, his eyes connecting with Dean's who was clinging to the walls in a white-knuckled grip. Suddenly the surface bubbled, and Sam broke through to the surface, coughing and spitting out the murky garbage water. Chewie gripped him under the arms, pulling him out of the water and beating on his back._

 _Cas grabbed Dean around the waist, hauling him close as the prince almost plunged head first into the dangerous water, trying to get to the other side of Sam. Dean gasped in surprise, gripping Cas' shoulders, heart beating wildly as their lips were inches away._

 _Cas found himself getting lost in those jade-colored eyes, whispering, "Are you alright?"_

 _Dean nodded._

 _Cas belatedly let go of his waist and shrugged, "Good. Didn't want you to fall in."_

 _Dean nodded again, kneeling next to Sam who due to his condition was oblivious to the exchange. "Are you okay? What happened?"_

 _Sam shoot his head, frowning. "I-I have no idea...it just sorta let go of me and disappeared."_

 _Cas scanned the walls and ceiling, an intense feeling of dread curling up in his stomach. "I think I know what's going on."_

 _Before anyone could ask what he meant by that, the walls gave another, bone-chilling shudder, inching in closer towards the grip._

 _Sam wobbled to his feet, clenching Dean's arm and looking around in fear. "Why are the walls moving like that!"_

 _Dean knew why. "We have to brace the walls with something, anything!"_

 _Sam nodded, and soon they found a few metals poles, that they shoved against the walls. It was no use. The snapped like dried twigs. Cas threw what left of one of the pieces of metal crushing. It seemed that they were all about to die rather painfully, and there seemed to be no way to stop it._

 _"Oh, wait a minute!" Sam said, pulling out comlink, hopping against all hope that it still worked after being dunked in the sewage water, "3-PO! 3-PO, where are you?"_

 _The answer to that question was a vacated portion of the battle station, complete with service panel. They had managed to trick the officers that had found them into thinking they were also victims of the intruders, and that R2 needed servicing due to the attack. Finally, he was able to heed their friends cries for help, "Sam, are you alright?"_

 _"3-PO!" Sam repeated, "3-PO turn off all the trash compactors on the detention level."_

 _In the background C3-PO could hear the others yelling and the sound of crunching trash and screeching metal._

 _R2 beeped loudly, shoving his clawed arm into the socket and proceeded to shut down the trash compactor._

 _"But Sam, where are -" C3-PO began._

 _"Just do what I tell you to and shut down the trash compactors on the detention level!" Sam snapped._

 _C3-PO shook his head at R2 who beeped at him in question._

 _"Just shut all of them down." C3-PO replied, "Hurry!"_

 _R2 beeped in irritation, but set to work shutting all the trash compactors down. Soon C3-PO heard yelling over the comlink. "Oh no!" He screamed, "We're too late! They're dead! They're all dead!"_

 _"No, 3-PO." Sam said into the comlink, "3-PO! You got it in time. Hey, we need you to open the pressure mantience hatch, unit number is-"_

 _"Three-two-eight-two-seven." Dean said into the comlink._

 _They stumbled out into an unused hallway as the garage roomed open, the four of them each silently thanking the droids for looking out for them. Cas and Sam took the opportunity to shimmy out of the stolen Storm Trooper uniforms while se Anewie served at lookout._

 _It was also around that point Dean decided to try to take charge of the situation. Regardless of what he was feeling right now (and he had just seen his planet blown up, so there was a lot of angst going on there) these people were risking their lives to save him, so it was his job to get them all to safety. Looking almost directly at Cas he said with strength he wasn't feeling, "I am Prince Dean of Alderaan, and from now on you will do as I tell you. Do you understand?"_

 _The smuggler was momentarily stunned, however, the shock quickly morphed into irritation, saying, "Look here, your Highness, it wasn't me in that was in that cell earlier, you are in no position to be giving any commands. I'm the one who gives the orders in this little rag-tag band of misfits."_

 _Sam rolled his eyes. They were as good as dead at this rate._

 _It was at that point that Anewie rejoined the group hopping to somehow defuse the situation. The Prince, while undersstandably upset was treading on thin ice, and Cas punching him was the last thing they needed right now._

 _"It's a wonder you've stayed alive this long." Dean muttered then turned around. He hesitated when he saw Anewie blocking his way, but eventually brushed him aside saying, "Out of my way, you red-headed cat."_

 _In response Anewie growled indignantly, causing Dean to turn around. "I'm sorry." He said, "I know that was uncalled for. But could we just, go please?"_

 _The others followed._

 _After a few minutes of maneuvering around the twisted corridors, the little group made their way to the hallway that overlooked the docking bay. They stopped in front of a large plastic-steel window to see the Millennium Falcon resting where they had left her, surrounded by twice as many guards. Cas leaned at the side of the window, resting his blaster hand on the edge and sighed._

 _Sam leaned against the wall on the opposite side of the window, taking out his comlink and speaking wearily into it, "3-PO, where are you guys at?"_

 _"We're in the main hanger, across from the ship." C3-PO replied._

 _Sam crossed his arms and clicked the microphone on, flashing a quick grin at Dean's expression of relief that this whole fiasco would soon be over with. "We're right about you. Just hold tight and we'll be there soon."_

 _Cas straightened up and motioned with his head for the others to follow. "Come on, we'd better get going."_

 _They set off, maneuvering through the twisting corridors once again, but this time as they rounded a corner they halted in surprise at the sight of twenty guards._

 _The two groups just stared at each other for a moment. Then a guard pointed at them, saying, "They're the ones we're trying to find! Get them!"_

 _Adrenaline pumped through Cas' veins. Thinking quickly, he palmed his blaster and charged down the corridor. Anewie followed after him, but there was no time to stop him. Risking a glance behind him, Cas called out, to the others, "Get to the ship!"_

 _"What the Hell do you think you're doing?!" Sam called back, "Get back here!" He shot a frightened look at Dean. The pair made no move to indicate that he heard as he rounded the corner and disappeared from sight._

 _Dean let out a deep breath. "He's courageous."_

 _Sam made a face. "Courageous or reckless, take your pick." He said, shaking his head before grabbing Dean's elbow, "Come on, we need to get the Hell out of here. Hopefully before the catch up to us."_

 _Bobby hurried along the hallway to the Millennium Falcon, unwilling to let his companions see what was about to happen. He was knew he was doing this for his own purposes and that Winchesters brothers would never forgive him for this. (And probably also for not just coming out and telling Sam that Dean was his brother, separating them in the first place, or making Dean prince on a lush planet while Sam was left to live like a lizard in the dessert.) But he had started this mess, he let it happen, and now he had to fix it._

 _He could sense the other Jedi's Force-signecure as easily as he use to so long ago. It saddened him to realize the bound that they shared was just as strong as it used to be, even after everything that had happened._

 _He looked up as he sensed his former student, and faced the masked man who appeared down the hallway. In spite of himself he was shocked at how much he'd changed. This had been his apprtience, the boy he had raised to manhood. His friend, his brother, and now his executioner. His heart dropped when the younger man activated his lightsaber. Where once was a blade of pure blue light, was a blade the same scarlet as the blood on his hands._

 _Bobby straightened and activated his own blade, the blue light illumining the hallway in a cold, bright light. He stepped forward slowly, and Vader did the very same thing._

 _"I have been waiting a long time for this, old man." Darth Vader said, a certain arrogance in his voice, "The circle is now complete, wouldn't you say?"_

 _Bobby just stared the black masks' eyes shifting into an offensive posture with a grace that belittled his age. It was a simple movement, nothing as elaborate as the stances he use to make. His lightsaber hummed and cracked waiting as the other man shifted into a fighting stance, the red blade swinging impatiently. Vader, or rather John, could never stand still before a fight. Apparently some things never changed. "When I left I was a Jedi, but I was a Lerner. Now I am the master."_

 _Bobby snorted. "In your dreams, Vader."_

 _The warriors stilled, each side sizing the other up, waiting for the opportunity to strike. For a moment the very air seemed to vibrate._

 _The older man lunged, and brought his lightsaber up at the last moment that to catch the lighting that arched from the larger man's hand. It was the same trick that was used on the Jedi commander, and Bobby was not about to fall for it. So the fight was on, each saber crashing against the other, each warrior gaining and losing equally. Bobby moved around the other man, quicker and faster than the lumbering gate of Vader's mechanical legs._

 _Bobby started inching away backward into the hanger realizing their duel wouldn't work well enough as a distraction to get the boys out. As they paused, Bobby noticed a few soldiers nearly forgot their work decided to watch and old man battled their mighty master in the halls, which to be fair probably didn't happen every day. It only served to make Vader angrier. It was all the more reason to play this scene out as best she could. He sent out a prayer into the Force, hoping against everything that the boys were able to make it out alive._

 _The lightsabers buzzed in the air as they circled each other._

 _"Your abilities are weak, Robert." Vader snarled. It was almost as if the younger man was complaining slightly, but Bobby didn't have the benefit of age at his disposal any longer, as he knew well._

 _"You won't win, Vader." Booby said quietly so Vader was the only one who could hear, "You strike me down, I'll become more powerful than you realize. Idgit." Vader had always hated that word. Bobby knew it was just the thing to piss him off._

 _It worked. The younger man snarled again, lunging at the man and swinging the scarlet blade over his head, only to be blocked by Bobby's._

 _Meanwhile, the others all finally met back at the hanger. "So, is the ship alright?" Sam asked._

 _Cas shrugged, "Should be if we can get to it. I just hope Bobby was able to deactivate the tractor beam, or we are going to be hitting a wall the minute we get out of here." After a moment of thought, he added, "Where is he, anyway? I mean, we took long enough, right?"_

 _The group inched closer to the ship, making sure none of the remaining soldiers could see them. This was rather easy as they were focused on what they assumed was some sort of fight. As they climbed the ramp to get to the ships, using the distraction to make an easy take-off Sam just happened to look over his shoulder and saw who was fighting, gasping in horror. "Look!"_

 _The group froze as the crowd parted, revealing Bobby and Lord Vader dueling. Their lightsabers clashed and whirled so fast they became a blur to them. The group was equally surprised an bewildered by the grace and power._

 _Out of his peripheral vision, Sam could see the bronze sheen of C3-PO's metal body sneaking towards them from a nearby alcove, R2 following close behind. C3-PO cocked his head in question, and Sam shook his head and motioned towards the ship. With one last glance behind them, the droid's followed their master's bidding and shuffled quickly into the ship._

 _The group watched at Vader swung downward and Bobby stop it. The old man looked around him, his eyes settling on Sam. Maybe one day he'd get to tell him why. His face relaxed, smiling softly at the boy, then turned back to his opponent. Sam's heart seized in his chest, a scream bubbling up in his lungs as Bobby lifted his sword from Vader's allowing his opponent to strike a killing blow._

 _It all seemed to happen in slow motion, the scene that would probably haunt Sam's dreams for the rest of his life. Bobby seemed to fade before his very eyes as Vader let the lightsaber descend, cutting the older man in half. He could just feel the slice as if it had happened to him, and unexpectedly the scream he had been trying to suppress echoed throughout the hanger, "No!"_

 _Before Sam could do anything stupid, both Cas and Dean grabbed onto him, pulling him into the ship. Then Cas and Anewie pulled out their guns, firing at the troops._

 _Sam stood at the opening of the ship, frozen in place as the men held off the soilders. He was sure they wouldn't make it out alive if he didn't help. He ran down the ramp, upholstered his blaster, and shot erractly at the troops almost feeling nauseated at the satisfaction he felt as the men fell._

 _That was when Cas got an idea. "Shoot the blast door, Sam! It'll cut them off."_

 _Taking a deep breath, Sam quickly aimed his blaster and fired. He gasped as the panel exploded, and the door slid shut, effectively cutting off Vader and his troops off from the hanger. He growled as three soldiers managed to hurtle through the opening in the doors, then tried to get better aim. He didn't want to kill them, but incapacitate them long enough to let them escape._

 _He didn't know what possessed him to march down the ramp of the ship. His head cocked to the side as he lined his sight at the soldiers, and pulled continually on the trigger. His vision grayed as he took out his helplessness and rage on them. His body suddenly grew cold, his hands shaking as he pulled the trigger three more times before the last trooper fell to the ground, dead._

 _By the time his vision cleared, he was frozen in his spot as he realized what he had done. He couldn't have just killed those men; he didn't have it in him to do something so horrible. What would Bobby had said if he saw what he did? Were those the actions a Jedi would've taken? His breath came in pants as he stared at the carnage before him, bile filling his throat. That was when a voice in his head rang out,_ "Run, Sam! Get out of here!'

 _Sam's head rang back as the voice echoed through his mind. It sounded so much like Bobby's gruff voice that his breath hitched in his chest. His gaze darted around the hanger for any explanation for the voice._

 _He shook himself, the voice was right, they had to leave quickly if they were going to survive the next few hours. He could figure out later why he had heard Bobby so clearly, although he could always chalk it up to a nervous breakdown. Yes, that had to be it. He holstered his blaster and ran back to the Millennium Falcon. He thundered up the ramp and ducked his head down as he felt hands on his shoulders to guide him through. The portal closed behind them, Cas staring at him._

 _"Are you going to be okay, kid?" Cas asked, posturing himself so that they were close to eye level. This was exactly what he had been worried about._

 _Sam nodded silently. But Cas wasn't so sure._

 _"I mean it, Sam." Cas said firmly, "We need you now more than ever, and I have know that we can count on you when the time comes."_

 _"Yes," Sam bit out, "I'm fine."_

 _Cas grinned. "Good, 'cause this looks like it's going to be a bumpy ride." Then he ran down the short hallway to the cockpit, leaving Sam and Dean alone._

 _Sam shook his head as his eyes started to water. "I-I'm sorry-I didn't-"_

 _"No," Dean said firmly, closing the last few steps between them and gripping the younger man's upper arms as the ship lurched, "You couldn't control what came over you, just like I couldn't in that cell before you pulled me out. Don't let the guilt consume you, Sammy. You did nothing wrong, you were only trying to get us out alive."_

 _Sam sighed, looking away. "I wish I could believe you."_

 **Rebel Base**

 **Apporixmently Six Hours Later**

 _Sam stood from his chair to leave with the other men in the meeting, searching for any sign of Castiel, who had been in the meeting with them._

 _It looked like the odds were stacked against the Rebels. The Death Star had a fire power greater than half their fleet and after what happened to Alderaan they were all wildly aware of what it could do. However, since its defense was designed for a direct, large-scale assault, a small, one-man fighter could penetrate the outer defenses. A hit to a small, thermal exhaust port that lead directly to the main the reactor would do the trick. But the shot would have to be precise to cause the chain reaction needed to destroy the ship. There was a very real chance this could be everyone's last mission._

 _Sam's stomach dropped when he couldn't find the smuggler, though why he wasn't sure; he knew that Cas and Anewie was around here somewhere, it wasn't like they would leave without saying goodbye-at least he didn't think they would._

 _His brow furrowed, he had to find them and make sure she wasn't about to do something foolish._

 _"I have some last minute things I need to see to." Dean said, realizing what was thinking, "You go find him." Then he was pulled into a crowd of officers_

 _He searched the hanger for any sign of Cas, Anewie, or the Millennium Falcon. It took only a few minutes, and Sam's bad feeling tripled when he saw Cas set apart from the rest of the pilots. The Rebels were making the last minute checks on the X-Wings; making sure making sure that everything was in working order before setting off on their mission. The smuggler, however, was doing no such thing, much to Sam's disappointment. His back was to them, checking for any last-minute repairs he could do. He was surrounded by large canisters, obvious a reward from one of the generals for the back by the rescue of their prince._

 _Sam stopped suddenly in shock, oblivious to men who were forced to move around him."What are you doing?"_

 _Cas froze momentarily, up until now he was focused on just getting the money onto the ship, and only then would he think of a way to leave without causing any grief. It seemed as if none of his plans were going how he wanted today. He closed his eyes for a moment, taken aback by the betrayal in Sam's voice. They had only known each other a day, he really shouldn't feel that way. Besides, they would all be better off once he was gone. He forced his voice to harden and kept his back to the pair, "Exactly what it looks like. I'm leaving."_

 _"So that's it?" Sam frowned, "You got your reward and ...you're done?"_

 _"I have debts I need to pay off using this money." Cas answered, trying to walk away from him," And besides, this is a suicide mission and you know it. None of you are coming back from this."_

 _Sam shook his head. "You don't have to do this. We could really use someone with your piloting skills. Don't turn your back on us now, not when we need you."_

 _"You don't have to do this either." Cas said, not believing the offer he was about to make them, "Come with us, please. If you stay here you're only going to end up dead. Just get Dean ad we'll all go."_

 _"I would rather die for something I believe in than run away like a coward." Sam said coolly._

 _Cas sighed. "Fine then. Don't know why I even bothered." Then, before he got up in his ship he called out, "And Sam?"_

 _Sam turned back around._

 _"May the Force be with you." Cas said sincerely, though he couldn't believe he was saying it._

 _As he got into the cockpit Anewie just stared at him. "Don't lot at me like that." He groaned._

 _Anewie roared soberly._

 _"No, I'm not going to regret this later." Cas snapped._

 **Space Around The Rebel Base**

 **A Few Minutes Later**

 _The x-wings moved into a V-shaped position with Sam somewhere near the forefront. As one, the unfolded the wings of their ships into the definite 'x' pattern and soared towards the Death Star._

 _His ship shuttered slightly and he knew they were close. "We passed into their magnetic field." One of the leaders said, "Hold tight in formation, and switch your deflectors on."_

 _The Death Star grew as they approached it. What at first looked like a small became a terrifying benamoth, the stuff of nightmares. The deep trenched across the surface, a complex pattern, were going to make their job difficult. Which is probably how they meant it._

 _"This is gold leader." A voice said from the intercom, "We're going for the target shaft now."_

 _The leader copied and it began. Orders and directions started flying out with the ships as three ships broke away to lead approaching TIE fighters away, while the rest, himself included, went for the trench._

 _The Gold Leader broke off with two other pilots. That left the Red Leader, and two pilots, one of them Sam. They were to watch the station and intercept anyone making to the trench._

 _The plan to lead the TIE fighters away was an success. Laser-blots shot through the sky and exploded into any available surface that collided with. There was a fairly large cap between the whirling ships, and Sam saw his chance to dive into the trench._

 _Wrestling with the feat of making a grave mistake, and yet wanting to do the right thing, Sam hesitated. With so little time before the Death Star destroyed their base, the young man didn't have time to think. Taking a deep breath he spoke into the microphone, "This is Red Five. I'm going in."_

 _"No!" One of the others shouted, "It's too dangerous!"_

 _Sam shook his head. "I have an opening and I am going to take it. Just focus on keeping those TIE fighters off my tail."_

 _"It's all good." Red Leader said, "If he sees an opening the rest of us don't, it's bet to let him take it."_

 _Exhaling slowly, Sam pushed the steering column as fast as it would go, and ended up nose-diving sharply into the trench. He smirked as he noticed a TIE fighter completely abandoned its battle with the others and started to gun it towards him. The hapless pilot was about to learn why following Sam was a bad idea. Sam pulled the trigger and raked the surrounding walls with laser fire, his eyes widening as a massive fire ball burst before them._

 _"Oh, shit!" Sam made a last- ditch effort to pull up, but wound up going through the fire._

 _He heard a series of frantic voices, and as he broke through the flames on came through the headset, "Sam are you there? Are you okay?"_

 _Sam panted as he looked at the cockpit on both sides, seeing little flares of the fireball shaking off his wings. He blinked his eyes and shook his head ruefully."I-I'm fine. Just a little signed."_

 _Above and around him, the Rebels strafe the surface of the Death Star with laser fire as they traveled closer to their goal._

 _Sam decided to focus completely on getting to the shaft and ending the fight once and for all, although as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he spotted another TIE fighter on his tail, the same one that he thought he had destroyed with the fire ball. He could hear his companions chattering, wondering where he was. It was then he realized his communication had been cut off._

 _Becoming ever more frustrated, Sam pulled back the steering column and tried to pull out of the trench-which was all the better to get noticed-hopping all the while that they would get the fighter off him. He tried every tick he knew, maneuvered his ship in every intricate pattern he could think of, but nothing he did stopped it from following him._

 _"I can't lose him!" Sam cried desperately into the microphone._

 _Seeing the trouble that Sam was in, someone broke off from the group to his aid. Sam's ship soared towards the surface of the Death Star making yet another break for the trench, hoping he could lose him there-the relentless TIE fighter in hot pursuit. The lights below the other pilot's ship stretched into thin lines as he whipped across the surface._

 _"I'm on him kid," The pilot said as he dived for the trench, coming up close behind the TIE-fighter._

 _The pilot swung to one side of the TIE fighter as the red leader swooped in beside him. They both opened fire on the ship, causing it to explode. The Red Leader and the Pilot pulled up just before they went through the fire ball, flying out of the trench on both sides to meet up with their respective group._

 _Sam sighed in relief. "Thanks, guys."_

 _The Gold Leader swooped down close to the trench surface, his two pilots beside him. He moved his mouth closer to the mic, saying, "This is Gold Leader, we are now re-starting out attack run. The exhaust port is marked and locked in."_

 _The Gold Leader gave his men the signal and started skimming the surface of the Death Star beside the trench. With the assience of the pilots following him, they laced the surrounding area with fire. The massive ship answered back with its own fire turrets on the surface._

 _The Gold Leader raced along the trench the top of the trench as laser blots increasingly blasted towards him. They would occasionally explode near the ship, rocking him from side to side. He switched buttons above his head, saying, "Switch power to the front deflective screens."_

 _The team was beset with a barrage of laser fire, streaking past them and occasionally setting up small explosions. The Death Star's exterior surface guns opened fire on the oncoming pilots._

 _The Gold Leader scanned the area, asking into his microphone, "How many guns do you think, Red Leader?"_

 _"I'd say about twenty guns." Red Leader replied, "Some on the surface, some on the towers, not to mention the TIE fighters following us. Switch your targeting computers, we're coming up on the exhaust the port."_

 _The Gold Leader did as he was told._

 _As they approached closer to the exhaust shaft, the laser fight around them stopped. An eerie silence came over them as the Death Star's surface streaked underneath them in a blur._

 _"Stabilize your deflectors." Red Leader instructed in a harsh whisper, "Watch for enemy fighters."_

 _He whirled his ship around as Gold Leader's voice yelled into his ear, "They're coming in! Three marks at two-ten!"_

 _Sam looked around nervously as the battle outside of his cockpit. He felt the tremors of the explosions all around him, and mourned the lost of the many who had died. That was when a commanding voice said through the intercom, "Red Five, take Red Two and Three. Hold up about five clicks from the surface and wait for my signal...to start your run.'_

 _Sam gulped and nodded, then realizing he couldn't be seen, sheepishly replied back verbally. He and the two other flew information across the Death Star's surface. The scattered lights, the laser bolts and explosions lit up the sky like nothing he had ever seen before. Even though they were in the mist of absolute peril, he had to admit that scenery that screeched out before him was hypnotic, horrifying and beautiful._

 _Was it worth everything he lost to get there though?_

 _Shaking away the thought for now he peered out his cockpit window. Two X-wings moved across the surface of the death star. A third battered X-wing dropped down to the surface leading to the exhaust port._

 _Meanwhile Sam searched the space around them for anymore TIE- fighters. He began to sweat as he saw no sign of them, knowing they had to be lying in wait._

 _"This is it!" His leader's voice rang in his ears. Sam and the two others soared into the trench, Sam constantly on the lookout for any enemy fire as they weaved around each other to make for a tougher target. The leader roamed down the trench of the Morning Star as lasers streaked across the black sky, the enemy once again upon them thought this time they were ready for it._

 _Sam gasped as a remote laser cannon appeared out of the wall behind them and fired at the approaching Rebel X-Wings. They evaded Galactic laser blast my executing very complex flying patterns. It occurred to Sam that if was going to join them in future battles-should he survive this one, God willing-that he should train with them more often. He appreciated the beauty in their aryl maneuvers, and could only wish that when he attempted the same movements that he looked half as good doing it._

 _He was startled from his thoughts as two of the X-Wings traveling with their leader exploded. This took their numbers down to only a few. Sam growled and started his descent into the trench, ignoring the questions from the two others with them. He plunged into the trench behind two of the Galactic ships, knowing full well that there were at least two more down there hiding. Without the slightest remorse, he let lose a hail of laser fire, a muscle jumping in his jaw as one of them exploded and another careen into a nearby wall. Sam was closing in on his leader, and the two other Rebels with him slid up beside the two as they raced towards the exhaust shaft._

 _He let loose with more laser fire-all the better to make the most damage he possibly could. He rejoiced as explosion after explosion rocked his vessel with aftershocks. If he had looked behind him, he would have saw sheets of armored platting falling off the ship. The coumication and ammunition towers fell, and chain explosions were set off on the truant, blanketing the surface in a web of fiery veins. It was glorious and destructive, it was the power of Rebels awe-inspiring to behold, even in the few precious moments they had left._

 _"We need to keep a sharp eye out for the Imperial ships."The Leader addressed the remaining Rebels, "They could be hiding anywhere. Red Five, can you see them from your vantage point?"_

 _Sam scanned the area with attention to detail, then let out a frustrated sigh. "I can't see any-wait!"_

 _Sam could've sworn he heard the leader franticly looking around, "Where?"_

 _"Three o'clock and coming in fast." Sam replied staring at the three ships coming at them._

 _"Target's up, I'm in range, get ready everyone." The leader instructed the others, "Hold them off."_

 _Suddenly a ship exploded in a laser bolt. Sam answered back with laser fire of his own, but their enemy evaded it at the last moment. Suddenly there was a call of, "Mission launch." A few seconds later, he heard, "It's a hit!" And started cheering along with the others._

 _Until everyone saw the missile hit the tower above the exhaust port. "Negative."_

 _Although the surface was partially blackened and still on fire, it had missed the exhaust port. Clearly something important had been hit, but their objective had not been met._

 _Suddenly, their leader turned around, and the others, Sam included, followed him. "We're right under you," He said, "Turn around, we'll cover you."_

 _"No," The leader protested ,"Don't try to cover me. Get ready to make your attack run, kid."_

 _Sam darted behind a metal block just outside the trench, the remments of the Gold Leader's ship. The next moment, the metal block exploded, sending out a hail of shrapnel and fire. A Rebel ship streaked by Sam, leaving a trail of smoke and sparks, followed by a Galactic ship. Sam pulled the trigger on his laser blots and smiled as it made the connection with the enemy ship, slowing him down enough for the Rebel to escape._

 _He leaned back in his seat and addressed the men currently following him, "Okay, guys, we're closing this up. We're going in full throttle."_

 _He didn't know where the sudden confidence came from, but hope it would stick with him at least until he was able to hit his target._

 _"Red Five, are you going to be able to pull out in time?" One of the pilots asked._

 _"Yeah," Sam replied, "It'll be just like in the Hollow back home..." Just thinking about anything from back home made his throat ache._

 _The Rebels flanked Sam on both sides, and together they all unleashed a barraged of laser-fire around the trench. Pieces broke off the wall, and the x-wings dogged around the dangerous metal. The Death Star answered back with fire of its own, albeit far more powerful and greater in numbers. Their clean line of ships broke away into smaller cell groups, one group going off to the right to deal with the Galactic Empire ships still flying around the trench, and the other groups veering behind or in front of Sam' s ship to cover him as he made his attach run._

 _"My scope shows the tower, but not the exhaust port!" One of the other pilots cried "Are you sure you computer can hit it, Sam?"_

 _Sam's ship barrel-rolled to narrowly evade the laser-fire arching from a cannon that lazily rotated while firing. It was at if the Death Star didn't take them as a serious threat. That was about to change if Sam had anything to say about it. His family wasn't going to die for nothing._

 _Sam moved his targeting device in front of his eyes. "You just worry about keeping them off my tail and get yourselves out of range."_

 _"But what a out the tower?" The pilot on the other end replied._

 _"Worry about the ships!" Sam snapped, "Let me worry about the tower!"_

 _He pulled the trigger, littering the trench with liberal laser-fire, grinning as a few ships exploded. He looked though his targeting device and was beset by several numbers and letters on the grid. The layout of the trench stretched in front of him in red, there were several pieces missing from the layout in front of him, several pieces missing from the layout in front of him, however the tower was still there. He frowned, and moved back to look out his cockpit, seeing the tower and then the outcropping of where he knew the exhaust port would be. He looked at the targeting device, wondering why the Hell they were using such a piece of junk._

"Use the Force, Sam." _Bobby's voice echoed through his head softly, but clear all the Sam._

 _Sam's heart thumped in his chest, wondering why he could hear a dead man's voice._

 _He looked once more to the targeting computer and clenched his hand around the steering Colum, knowing there would be no way he would be able to see the small opening he needed. The computer was set on the tower, since it was a large target and very near the exhaust port. The cross-hairs flashed yellow as the targeting computer lined up the tower, and Sam growled in frustration._

 _He leaned back and looked from the targeting computer to the tower that was steadily approaching. Everything in him wanted to listen to the voice, but there was still part of him telling him that he could crazy to listen to something that was probably street-induced, if he was lucky._

"Let go, kid." _Bobby's burst urged._

 _Sam still resisted, but at the same time Bobby's teachings rang through his head. He calmed by a degrees, letting his tension go and adjusted his hand from white-knuckling the steering column. The source of his speed made Sam's back dig into his seat, the Rebels fell back behind him, unable to keep up with him._

 _Sam took one last suit in the targeting computer, then slowly shook his head, smiling softly as he heard Bobby's voice growl,_ "Trust me, you idgit."

 _Sam pushed the button beside him and the targeting device receded into its place above Sam's head."_

 _"He turned it off." A voice said, "Sam, is there something wrong with you computer?"_

 _"It's alright, I'm fine." Sam insisted. Sam wasn't sure if it was what he said or the way he said it, but there was no response from the other side._

 _Then an automatic voice anouched, "The Death Star has cleared the planet. The Death star has cleared the planet..."_

 _To make matters worse, it looked like he might be in the remaining fighter's crosshairs. He had to move fast or die._

 _Then suddenly, a shadow descended on the enemy ships and one of them exploded. The force of the blast sent two into the wall, then blasted itself into the trench and spinning out into the darkness of space. The last ship that tried to attach was then hit by a laser blot, blasting it into a thousand pieces._

 _Suddenly the Millennium Falcon appeared before him, chasing down and peppering three Galactic Ships with a barrage of laser fire. Sam breathed his breathing easier as Cas took out the Imperia ships that came towards him. The man let out of crow of victory, only to be chided by his partner with a growl._

 _Sam rolled his eyes at the pair, but couldn't help the light-hearted laughter that bubbled in his chest._

 _"Let do this thing kid." Cas told him, "Send 'em packing!"_

 _"Will do, Cas!" Sam gunned his engines towards the tower he was rapidly approaching. He took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. He watched as the missiles disappeared into the shaft, and knew he scored the hit. He pulled back on his steering column quickly flying away from the trench and back towards the rebel base. He could hear the faint cheering of the other Rebels as they followed him, intent on getting as far away as they could before those missiles hit the reactor._

 _Sam knew the moment the reactor hit; several small flashes dotted the surface of the Death Star before it burst into the most glorious supernova Sam had ever seen. A part of him couldn't believe he had just saved the galaxy and destroyed a blight upon the universe. But there was the evidence, or absence of it, right before him._

 _"Way to go, Sam." Cas said quietly, breaking the spell of silence that had descended on the Rebels, "That shot was one in a million."_

 _Sam turned on the auto-piloting system, glad R-2 had survived the whole battle in one piece. He really owed the little droid one. He relaxed in his seat, confident R2 would get them back home safely, closing his eyes. He wasn't even surprised when he heard Bobby's voice saying softly,_ "Remember Sam, the Force is with you, always..."

 _The roar of the crowd was the only thing Sam could hear upon interring the hangar. The cockpit opened before it fully stopped and Sam sat on the edge, looking for Dean. Suddenly the slightly older man pushed through the crowd, before pulling Sam into an embrace. "I can't believe you actually did it!"_

 _"Me neither," Sam said, breaking the embrace as a certain pair of smugglers attentively approached them, "I thought we'd seen the last of you two."_

 _"Like I was going to let you take all the credit." Cas replied._

 _Anewie let out a harsh roar towards her Captain._

 _"Alright, alright." Cas sighed, "I don't know why...but for some reason I can't seem to leave you people and it looks like you're going to pull me into this whether I like it or not. Thanks a lot."_

 **Kalhoonian Temple**

 **Two Days Later**

 _The trio solemnly walked up in a line up to the throne, where Dean was waiting. Between the audience and the pomp and circumstance, it was all a little overwhelming. They climbed the three steps and kneeled before the prince who was staring down at them solemnly._

 _Prince Dean turned to the officer beside him, taking three metals from the other man. He draped it over Cas' neck, then repeated this action with Anewie and Sam._

 _They turned around to face the crowd, a series of overwhelming emotions taking over the group. But they only let the pride show through._

 **Hoth**

 **Present Day**

The trio walked back away from the Winchester's hiding place, continuing their argument.

Sam and Dean took the opportunity to quickly cobble the spell together. "You know, this is one I wouldn't actually mind staying in." Dean said, putting the aconite in.

Sam smirked, "You might want to rethink that statement."

"What does that mean?" Dean asked.

"Well, from what we just heard, I'd say Cas is Han and you're Leia, so..." Sam let his voice trail off as he thought he made is point.

He had. "Oh, God, no, not again." Dean said before picking up the book and opening to the marked page, quickly reading, " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar ..."


	87. Two Guys And Two Girls

**AN: Special thanks to WaywardDaughter617 for this request.**

When their vision cleared this time they found they were in the stacks again, and they could hear shouting.

"I love you!" A voice that reminded them of Charlie shouted, "And I know you love me, too! You just need to admit it, Sam!"

The boys exchanged looks, then dared a peaked from their hiding place.

From what they could tell, it looked as Charlie, of all people, was chasing Sam across the room. She reached out to him, but Sam stopped her. "I do," Sam replied, "But we have no clue if our feelings are our feelings, or if that witch just put it in our heads. Until then, maybe we should cool it."

Charlie paused for than lashed out, slapping Sam. "I'm not some child, Sam!" She exclaimed, "I would know if someone was messing with me!"

Suddenly, Dean rushed in followed by a girl neither of them have seen before with long onyx hair, her body hidden by a tan coat, "Look," She said, in a voice a little too low or a girl's, "Sam has a point. If you do something before we find this witch-you might regret it later if it turns out she did have something to with your sudden feelings for Sam. Right, Dean?"

However, something else had caught Dean's eye, something he was staring at.

It was then the boys realized they had once again been caught.


	88. Tainted Love

"Hey, guys." Dean said, pointing at the pair, "I think we have company. Look."

Sam and Dean quickly stood up. "Look, we can explain," Sam said, "We're you from another universe. We were haunting a witch, but she knew we were coming and cast a spell sending us to a different universe, and we're just trying to get back home."

The group exchanged looks. "Okay." The Dean of their universe said, "That makes sense. We're dealing with some witch problems of our own."

"Yeah, we noticed that from the little ...scene." Dean said.

Charlie rolled her eyes.

"So, did the same witch turn Cas into a girl?" Dean asked.

Everyone exchanged looks again.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Ah, out Cas has always been a girl." The Sam of that universe spoke up.

 **Pontiac, Illinois**

 **2008**

 _Dean and Bobby were seated on the tables in the warehouse, swinging_ _their legs and looking board. Which they kind of were, paired with nervousness at what might come through those doors._

 _"You sure you got the ritual right?" Dean asked._

 _Bobby gave him a harsh look._

 _"Sorry." Dean said quickly, "Touchy, touchy, hun?"_

 _As if on cue, a loud rattling shook the roof. Arming themselves with shotguns, Dean and Bobby took position at the far end of the warehouse._

 _"Wishful thinking, but maybe it's just the wind." Dean suggested._

 _The door burst-opened put a beautiful pale-skinned young woman stalked in. Most of what she was wearing was covered by a tan trench coat, but it looked like she was wearing low-heeled boots._

 _Dean thought this was most likely Castiel, whatever the Hell she was._

 _As she walked passed them, the light bulbs above her head shattered. As she approached the hunters opened fired, but the shots didn't even slow her down._

 _Dean pulled out the demon killing knife as she got closer. "Who are you?" He demanded._

 _"I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition." Castiel answered in a voice that struck Dean as just a little deeper than the average's female's._

 _"Yeah." Dean replied, "Thanks for that." The he reared back and plunged the knife into Castiel' chest. She looked down, unconcerned, and pulled it out, dropping it to the floor. Behind them, Bobby attacked. Without even looking she grabbed the older man's weapon and used it to swing him around. She touched Bobby with two fingertips and he crumpled to the ground._

 _Dean's heart stopped from shock and horror._

 _"We need to talk Dean." She declared, "Alone."_

 _Dean hurried over to Bobby, checking his plus, glaring at the mysterious, and as predicted dangerous, woman. Lucky for her Bobby had a pulse._

 _"Your friend's alive." Castiel assured him._

 _"Who are you?" Dean asked._

 _"Castiel." She answered._

 _"Yeah, I figured that much, I mean_ what _are you?" Dean elaborated._

 _"I'm an Angel of the Lord." Castiel answered._

 **Lebanon, Kansas**

 **Present Day**

"Oh," Dean said, "Well, there's the difference from our universe."

"Just out curiosity, -and because of some of the other universes, are you two-" Sam began, gesturing between Dean and the female Cas when a hand covered his mouth.

"No!" His Dean shouted at the top of his lungs, "Listen, ah, whatever the nature of your relationship is, is your business, but, ah, I am going to be having nightmares about the things I have seen for years to come, so can we please just not talk about it?"

"Okay," The Dean of the universe agreed while Cas shrugged, both of them looking confused.

"So, ah, what's the deal with Sam and Charlie?" Dean continued, desperately trying to change the subject, "Last I checked he, um, wasn't exactly her type."

"That's why I'm trying to get her to take things slow." The Sam of that universe replied.

 **Sicily, Minnesota**

 **A Month Ago**

 _Charlie watched the black Impala pulled up in front of her motel, walking up as two men stepped out. "Hey, guys," She said, going in for a hug with Sam._

 _"Hey," Dean said, embracing her after Sam was done, "Thanks for calling us."_

 _"Thanks for coming." Charlie replied, leading them into her motel room._

 _In the motel room, Charlie had sent up a board with all her information on the case._

 _"Okay, so it all started about a week ago, when I saw this wedding announcement." She explained, pointing to it, "Twenty-two year old paralegal Mari Summers married bail-bondsmen Jake Connors, three weeks after they met. While on its own it's just odd, it did match MO of the witch you guys told me about so I decided to look into it, and according friends and family, not only do they barely know each other, they have absolutely nothing in common."_

 _"Sounds like our gal." Dean commented._

 _A few weeks before Sam had came across the of unlikely, outrageous and in a few cases illegal (in the cases of those underage or already married) couples. After breaking into a suspicious behaving woman's apartment they found that sure enough, she was witch who had for whatever reason decided to play matchmaker. Unfortunately she had escaped, so they set out feelers to other hunters, including Charlie._

 _"Got any idea who's doing it?" Sam asked._

 _"Yeah, actually," Charlie answered, "I was hoping you could help me break into her place, see if it's your witch."_

 _"Now you're talking." Dean replied._

 _After planning everything, Charlie lead-them to a well-kept ranch-style house in the middle of a cul-de-sac. It didn't exactly scream "a witch who dabbles as a cupid lives here," but then again, neither did the last one._

 _Charlie peaked in the window. "No one's home." She declared, before taking a crow-bar to it. Dean gave her boost in, then climbed in himself, followed by Sam._

 _Apparently from absurd amount of crystals and candle there was nothing remarkable about it. Then they got the kitchen and living room, and they knew they had the right house. Both areas were covered in spell books, bowels of various materials, glass jars of potions, herbs, and what appeared to be blood, and most notably, artichokes, which Sam and Dean found at the witch's house last time as well._

 _"It's her." Dean declared, "What's with the artichoke? That's what I still wanna know."_

 _"They were an aphrodisiac in ancient Greece." Sam informed them, "Maybe it's part of the spell."_

 _"How clever of you, little ones." A smooth female voice said behind them._

 _Before they could turn around Dean was flung across the room into a closet, the door shutting him in while Charlie and Sam ere forced back to back._

 _As they struggled to get free, a woman with long platinum hair clothed in floral dress appeared from nowhere. Sam recognized her as the witch who had caused all this trouble._

 _As they struggled against their invisible bounds, the witch picked up an artichoke and started chanting. Both Sam and Charlie's body suddenly pulsed with heat._

 _Dean was kicking at the door, and kicked until it was forced partially opened, opened enough for him to slip out, gun in hair, and shoot the witch dead mid-chant._

 _No longer under her spell, Sam and Charlie fell to the ground_

 _"You guys, okay?" Dean asked._

 _"Yeah," Sam said, "I think so."_

 **Lebanon Kansas**

 **A Week Ago**

 _Charlie had been having some strange feelings lately specifically in regards to Sam._

 _For one thing, she was starting to notice how handsome he was. It wasn't like she hadn't registered it before, but now it was like...she was actually attracted to him. Which was weird, because she had never been attracted to a man before. Even weirder because she viewed both him and Dean as her brothers._

 _And it wasn't just superficial. Suddenly, every quality that made her like him as a person made her love him. And sometimes Sam said something or did something that made her feel...that maybe, just maybe, he felt the same way._

 _So one day, when he was leaned over a table, looking at a map of the places the witch had hit, she walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around that magnificent high waist of his._

 _Sam startled, then turned around to see Charlie had a hold of him. "Woe," He said, "What are you doing there, big girl?"_

 _"Oh, I just thought it was time I show you the way I feel about you." Charlie replied._

 _"Which is?" Sam asked nervously as Charlie stood on her tip toes to get closer to his mouth. In leeway of answering she put her lips on his._

 _Sam jumped back, put paused. For some reason he didn't mind what happened. He leaded back in and reciprocated the kiss. Then he pulled back again. "No!" He snapped, "What is going on?!"_

 _"Okay, I get it," Charlie replied, "That was probably a bit confusing. Ever since, the encounter with the which, I've been started to have these...feelings about you, that I just had to-to act one."_

 _Sam started to break out into a smile. He had been thinking about Charlie in ways he hadn't before, for a while now, and here she was, saying she felt the same way. Then he remembered one problem with what she was saying. He wasn't exactly her type._

 _After discussing it they decided they should cool it, at the very most holding hands, until they could figure out their recent encounter with the witch had anything to do with their certain romantic leanings. They were in the process of looking for a cure, so it couldn't be that long._

 _However, the restraints on their relationship were starting to chafe on Charlie..._

 **Lebanon Kansas**

 **Right Now**

" That's when we got into a fight and you guys showed up." The Sam of that universe finished.

"Well, that's not everything that happened." Castiel added, "We found a reversal spell, so if this is the witch, we should known about it soon."

"And if it's not, we can actually have a healthy relationship?" Charlie asked.

"Yes." Cas replied calmly.

"Uh, before you do all that, is it okay if we do our spell?" Sam asked.

"Sure." The Dean of that universe spoke up.

They put together then Sam read, " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind picked up, knocking a couple of lose items, and the pair find themselves once again wrapped in a white light, leaving that universe to its own problems.


	89. Somewhere On The Beach

**AN: Special thanks to WaywardDaughter617 for this request.**

This time when they came to they were behind a tree. Unlike before, the area was only loosely dotted with trees, and it was sunny out. Also they could hear waves.

They looked out form their hiding place and saw they were on a beach. In the distance they could see a woman with long light brown hair dressed in a beige one-piece. But where were they? Were they women again? They couldn't see the woman's face so she could theodicy be Dean, particularly with that hair color.

Then Dean walked up, dressed in trunks and a white t-shirt, sitting down next to the woman. Then the woman asked, "What's with the cover-up?" And they were both shocked to find the recognized the voice.

 _"Becky?!"_ Both of them thought in disbelief.


	90. An Unexpected Friendship

While they were still processing this another woman came over to the pair, dressed in a bikini molded after a _Star-Trek_ uniform. They recognized her as Charlie.

"Hey, guys." Charlie said, sitting down next to Becky, but looking over to Dean, "What's with the tee?"

"That's what I just asked him." Becky replied.

"I'll take it off when I'm ready to go into the water." Dean answered.

"Still doesn't explain the shirt." Charlie replied.

"Trying to protect myself from sun damage." Dean shrugged.

Becky laughed. "Seriously? You fight monsters all the time and you're afraid of the sun?"

"Not scared," Dean replied, "Just using proper safety precaution."

Just then Charlie noticed something on the ground. "Hey guys," She said, lifting up a long piece of driftwood, "I found Sam a new stick."

Becky laughed. "Please don't give him that. The last thing we need is another thing for him to point at me when I haven't even done anything wrong."

"Well, to be fair, you do have a history." Dean commented.

Becky shrugged. "That is true." She admitted.

 **Pike Creek, Delaware**

 **2013**

 _The Winchesters stick themselves to the back of the shelves and Dean poked his head out to see their targets. A Djin was standing over his latest victim, who looked oddly familiar._

 _The creature's back was to them, so Dean was able to charge it, stabbing it in the neck with a blood-dipped sliver knife. The Dijn turned around and clawed Dean, pushing him to the ground. As Sam went to his brother's aid, the Dijn fled._

 _As Sam helped him to his feet, Dean said, "You go after the Dijn, I'll get the girl."_

 _As Sam ran after the monster, Dean knelt down next to the girl and was surprised to recognized her as one Becky Rosen._

 _Sam chased the creature into the woods surrounding the abandoned house the Dijn had been hiding out at, trying to find any sign of the creature. He heard a rustling in the trees and followed it, but it lead nowhere._

 _After regrouping they decided the best thing to do was to take her back to the bunker to find a way to bring her out, and keep her alive in the meanwhile. Eventually, they wound up calling Charlie, since she was the only one they knew who had actually survived an encounter with this type of Dijn._

 _"Okay, I have an idea, but -it's kind of crazy," She said, after a while._

 _"Well, at this point, we'll take anything." Dean replied. Becky might be a bit of a nut-case, but she didn't deserve to die._

 _"Send me in." Charlie offered, "I've been through it before, I can talk her through this."_

 _"You're right, it's crazy." Dean said._

 _"But it might work." Sam said, "And it would free us up to actually find this thing."_

 _Dean sighed. He knew that he was going to lose this fight. "Okay." He said, "I'll get the dream root."_

 _Given what she had been told about Becky, Charlie didn't know what to expect inside her head, but she wasn't expecting_ this.

 _Becky was dressed in a dark period gown, her hands dies behind her and a gag in her mouth, seconds away from being thrown into a snake pit._

 _Charlie blinked for a moment in stunned surprise, then ran up to the guy in chainmail about to throw her in, pushing him away._

 _"How dare you interfere in an royal execution?!" A woman nearby in ridiculous fancy clothing in a grown exclaimed, charging at the pair._

 _Figuring she deserved it, Charlie grabbed onto the field, tossing her into the pit. Then she grabbed Becky by her bound wrist and lead her away from the scene as fast as she could._

 _Once they had reached safety Charlie untied Becky who then removed the gag from her mouth. "Oh, thank you," She breathed, "Thank you so much!"_

 _"Don't mentioned it." Charlie said, "Do you have any idea what's going on?"_

 _"No," Becky answered in a shaky voice, "One minute I'm walking home from work, the next minute I'm stuck in my worst nightmare."_

 _"Yeah," Charlie replied, "What is all this anyway?"_

 _"When I was eleven I read Charles Perrault's version of 'Sleeping Beauty'," Becky explained, "Ever since I've had an apparently not so irrational fear of snake pits."_

 _"I don't remember a snake pit being in 'Sleeping Beauty.'" Charlie replied. She knew that fairy tales were sanitized, but, that didn't seem to fit._

 _"It's in the second part that didn't really catch on." Becky explained, "Basically, she had really psycho mother-in-law." After a moment, she added, "And she wasn't very consistent either. I mean, first she wanted to eat her and the kids, then just 'cause she didn't get them the first time she goes all Bond villain on everyone. I mean, why just go ahead and eat them, eat the cook too."_

 _That was when Charlie got an idea. "Becky, that's it!"_

 _"What's it?" Becky asked, "How do you know my name?"_

 _"I'm friends with people who know you." Charlie said, "That's not important right now. What I need you to do, is keep poking holes in the story, particularly the parts that scared you."_

 _Becky eyed her strangely but did as she was told._

 _On the outside, the boys were starting to get worried. "That's it." Dean finally, "I'm going in."_

 _However, just at that moment both women's eyes fluttered open._

 _"Hey," Dean said, as he and Sam rushed over to them, "You two okay?"_

 _"I am." Charlie answered, before looking over to Becky, "You?"_

 _"I think so." Becky replied, "I'm just really, really hot." Then a look of recognition crossed her face and the boys were expecting a squealing freak out, but instead she just said, "Oh, hey guys. Things are starting to make a bit more sense now."_

 _Just then Charlie spoke up, "Hey, did you guys know 'Sleeping Beauty' had a snake pit in it?"_

 **Lebanon, Kansas**

 **Two Days Later**

 _Dean was on his way to his room when he heard giggling. Curious as to what was going on, he backed and saw Charlie in the room they were letting Becky stayed in while she recovered in chair at her bedside. "Oh, hey, Dean." Charlie said, turning around to look at him._

 _"Hey," Dean said, somewhat awkwardly, "What's going on here?"_

 _"Oh, I just brought over some of my old LARPing stuff to show Becky." Charlie answered, "Hey, did you the Becky has hard copies of all the 'Harry Potter' books?"_

 _" No," Dean replied, "No, I did not." Though, now that he thought of it, apart from her 'Supernatural' obsession, they didn't know that much about the very excitable young woman, and that seemed to have tone it down over the years. At first they thought it was just because she was recuperating, but it appeared that she had become much more laid back._

 _After chatting with them a few moments, Dean went back into the main room where Sam was hiding._

 _"Hey, you will not believe what's going on down the hall." Dean said._

 _"Does it have anything to do with the box Charlie brought over." Sam guessed._

 _"Yeah," Dean confirmed, sitting down, "Hey, why aren't you getting in on the geekfest?"_

 _"You mean, the one with the woman who once drugged me into marriage?" Sam reminded him, "No thank you."_

 _"Well, actually she seems to have, uh, mellowed out in that area." Dean replied, "Plus, I have a feeling we are going to be seeing a lot more of her, at least when Charlie's around."_

 _"I know." Sam admitted, "That's why I got-this." He held up a thin tree branch._

 _Dean stared at the branch. "Sam, what's that for?"_

 _"In I case I need to fend her off." Sam answered._

 _Dean smirked in amusement. "So now you have a Becky-poking stick?"_

 _"Do you we really have to name it?" Sam responded, "But, yes, basically."_

 _Dean couldn't help but laugh._

 **Beach**

 **Present Day**

As the trio on the beach chatted, Sam and Dean took the opportunity to put the spell together in peace. After putting it together Sam opened the book to the right page, being careful to whisper as he said," Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The win picked up and the white life engulfed them.

"Hey, guys, did you hear something?" Charlie asked a few second after they were gone.

"No." Becky answered, then turning to Dean added, "You?"

"Me neither." Dean said, looking behind them just to be safe.


	91. Do You Believe In Magic?

When they came to they found themselves in some kind of closet. It was lined with sleeves filled with all sorts of weird things, some they didn't even recognize.

"Great." Dean groaned, "More witches."

Just then they head talking from the outside. They peaked opened and saw three teens in long black robes talking rather urgently. They noticed that one of them looked like Dean, and that he had a lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

Shutting the door back before they noticed the boys looked at each other. "Okay," Dean said slowly, "So this time we're actually are in the _Harry Potter_ universe."


	92. The Winchester Brothers And

**AN: Thanks to mckydstarlight for this request.**

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **1983**

 _Robert Singer slowly walked down the street, stopping at house where a brown cat was staring at him from him from the front gate._

 _"Hello, Ellen." He greeted her._

 _The cat jumped off the fence, transforming into a beautiful woman with long brown hair. "Are you sure about this?" Ellen asked, "I've been watching them since it happened and the Cambpells are horrible people. At least the husband is."_

 _"They're all they have left."" Singer responded._

 _Just then a motorcycle flew down, carrying the two packages they were referring to._

 _"Good evening, Laffite" Singer called out as the pair walked over to the driver, "How are they?"_

 _"They fell asleep just as we were flying over Topeka." Laffite replied, picking up two little bundles, one four, one barely six months old. Both had matching lightning bolt scars He looked down as his charges longingly._

 _"I'm sorry, Laffite." Singer spoke up, knowing what he was thinking, "But you can't keep them. You can place on the porch and say goodbye, though."_

 _Laffite reluctantly walked up the walk with the others and gently placed them on the porch. "Goodbye little ones." He said softly._

 _"It's not forever Laffite." Singer reassured him._

 _"Come on, big guy." Ellen said walking away with him._

 _"I'll be with you in a minute." Singer told them. As they walked away he said, "Good luck, Winchesters."_

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **Seven Years Later**

 _It all started with the letter._

 _Deanna was busty with laundry so she had Dean was run and get it. As he flipped through it he noticed one of the envelopes was address to him. It was plain envelope, but sealed with an unusually fancy seal, like somebody's family crest._

 _He handed everyone their mail, mainly bills, before sitting down at the table with his own. As he started to open it, Sam noticed it. "What's that?" He asked, reaching out for it._

 _"Leave it alone." Dean explained, "It's mine."_

 _However, before things could go any further, Samuel snatched it way._

 _"Hey!" Dean protested, "They sent it to me!"_

 _"Who would want to send a letter to you." Samuel scoffed, then his face fell as he looked at the seal._

 _"Samuel-" Deanna began, about to scold him and tell him to give Dean back the letter than saw the seal as well. The pair exchanged stunned looks._

 _"No." Samuel said, getting up with the letter in hand, "No, not again!"_

 _"Samuel," Gran began, following after him, "If he's like-"_

 _"Grandfather, please!" Dean tried, following after him and grabbing at his arm, "It was mine, please give it back-"_

 _Samuel turned around and Dean felt a sharp sting on his cheek._

 _Everything was silent for a moment, and Deanna got that stony look on her face. "Boys, would you please leave me alone with your Grandfather for a few minutes?"_

 _The boys quickly left the room, as they knew what was going to happen next. When they were first place in their grandparents care Deanna was forced to set up a rule: Any physical violence he inflicted on the boys, was inflicted right back on him._

 _They heard the slap as they left the room. Sam went to their room but Dean stood at the edge of the stairs trying to eavesdrop. They must have knew that would possibly happen, as they spoke in such hushed voices that Dean couldn't make out what was being said, which made him want to know what was going on even more._

 _It went on like this for weeks. Dean would get a letter , Samuel would take it away from him before he would even get a good look at it, then a fight would ensue. Dean hadn't gathered much, but from what he could gather Deanna thought he had a right to know about what was in the letter, but Samuel was dead set against it._

 _One day during one of his eavesdropping secession, Sam walked up to him._

 _"Sam, get back!" Dean whispered, gesturing with his hand, "They're gonna see you."_

 _Sam did as he was told, asking, "Is Gran gonna throw Grandfather out again?" Every so after Deanna got fed up with Samuel's hostility towards their grandchildren to the point she would throw him out. He'd beg forgiveness and promise to change his behavior eventually wearing her down so that she let him come home, and the cycle would start again._

 _"I don't know Sam." Dean replied. Honestly, he hadn't been sure of anything since he was four years old, when their parents died. He could barely remember them anymore._

 _A few days after Sam walked in on Samuel, knelt over the fire place. He few something in and he realized it was a letter. Then he saw a basket full of them. One look from his grandfather and he knew to keep silent._

 _A week later Deanna had decided to make pancakes for breakfast. She broke an eye over the bowl and instead of a yoke, a letter came out. She grabbed another egg, and got another letter. A third time. A letter. She looked out the window saw a small army of owls on her fence._

 _That did it. They had hid this for way to long. They always they were going to cross that bridge when they came to it, well, now they were here. She ran into the living room and was about to call for Dean, only for Samuel to come down the stairs. Another fight ensued._

 _The next Sunday Dean was helping Sam reach the glass shelf in the kitchen when he heard Samuel saying, "Ah, Sunday. You know what I love about Sundays, boys?"_

 _"Because there's no mail on Sunday." Dean said, handing Sam the cup._

 _"Right you are, my boy." Samuel replied almost gleefully._

 _"Samuel, don't mock him." Deanna scolded, stopping the chore she was doing._

 _That was when the house started to shake. Suddenly letters starting flying into the mail slot, and from the fire place._

 _Deanna opened her mouth to speak, only for Samuel to cut her off."Don't." Then after a moment he added, "Just don't."_

 _Seeing his chance Dean strung, grabbing at the letters._

 _"No!" Samuel exclaimed, grabbing Dean and ripping the letter from his hand, ranting like a madman, "We are going far away, where they can never find us. Never!"_

 _That was how they wound up in the backwoods in the middle of nowhere, listening to their Grandparents fight while Sam drew something on the ground. "Make a wish, Dean." He said when he was done._

 _Dean turned to see his brother had drew a cake on the ground with eleven candles and the words "Happy Birthday Dean" written on it._

 _Dean's heart swelled. "Thanks, Sam." He said before pretending to blow out the candles, wishing they were somewhere far away from here._

 _That was when there was knocking at the door. Both boys looked up, but said nothing. Then the door fell down, revealing a man in a dark blazer and cap on the other side._

 _"Gran!"They both screamed._

 _"It's alright," The man said, "I don't mean any harm. Glad to see you're doing well, boys."_

 _"H-How do you know us?" Dean asked, pulling Sam close. However, the man did seem somewhat familiar, like a hazy memory he couldn't quite place._

 _" Benjamin Lafitte," The man said, kneeling down in front of the boys._

 _Before the man could explain presence any further, the boy's grandparents rushed in, Samuel holding a gun. Both froze at the site of the Haggraid, Deanna gasping, "You."_

 _"You know this man?" Samuel balked._

 _"We met once." Deanna replied, "After Mary..."Her voice trailed off, unable to finish the sentence._

 _"I thought we agreed-" Samuel began through gritted teeth._

 _"Oh, come off it Campbell." Laffite cut in._

 _"Whoever you are, this is private property." He cocked the gun, "And I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."_

 _Lafitte responded by walking over to the man, grabbing the barrel of the gun, and twisted it into a half-circle, causing a startled Deana to yelp._

 _"Sorry about that, Mrs. Campbell." Lafitte said, as he actually liked her, "Now, if there's not any more problems, you want to sit down with me and talk to your grandsons?"_

 _Deanna got a resolute look on her face. "Yes." She replied ," Yes we can." Samuel opened his mouth to protest, but she harshly said, "Stay out of this."_

 _And so, as Samuel watch helplessly from the sidelines, Lafitte and Deanna sat down with the boys._

 _"Before we start, I got you something." Lafitte said, pulling out a small white box and handing it to Dean, "It might not look the best, I accidently sat on it, but I think it should still taste alright."_

 _Dean opened the box, revealing a small, pink-iced cake with a message similar to Sam's floor cake._

 _"It's not every day your young man turns eleven." Lafitte explained, causing Deanna to look down monetarily, a little guilty that they hadn't done anything. The fact that Sam's floor cake was still there didn't help matters._

 _"Thank you." Dean said, still a little shaken up, "What's all this about?"_

 _"Those letters you've been getting." Deanna began apprehensively. This was it. They were really doing it. "It's a school for people with certain special...talents."_

 _Samuel scoffed._

 _"What, like X-men?" Dean asked. It would explains some things. Like how his hair would sometimes grow out one day after cut. Or that time at the zoo when the glass in the terbium somehow disappeared, letting a python out. A python Dean could talk to._

 _"Dude, that is so cool." Sam commented._

 _"Well, not exactly that." Lafitte interjected, "You're a wizard, Dean."_

 _That took Dean by surprise. "A what?"_

 _"A wizard." Deanna took over, "Someone who can do magic. Your father was one and so was...your mother." She looked a little chocked up, but shook it off, saying, "I suspect Sam is one, too." Sam had, had his own share of incidents._

 _"Magic...it's real?" Dean asked slowly._

 _"Of course it's real." Lafitte said before turning to Deanna, "You haven't told them anything?"_

 _"We wanted to wait until we knew for sure they were like Mary." Deanna said, "And there were...other reasons."_

 _It was then it started to dawn on Dean he and Sam had been deceived their whole lives. "You knew?"_

 _"Of course we knew." Samuel spoke up before anyone else could respond, "And if we had any sense back them we would've thrown away Mary's letter, too. Then she would have never met that Winchester and got herself blown up-"_

 _"Blown up?" Sam cut him off, "You said Mom and Dad died in a car crash."_

 _"A car crash?" Lafitte exclaimed, "Kill Mary and John Winchester?!"_

 _"Well, how do you explain to children that they're parents were murdered by a magical terrorist?" Deanna hissed._

 _"What?" Dean asked becoming distressed, "What are you talking about?"_

 _And so, the pair began the true tale of how their parents died. Years ago, a civil war had broken out in the wearing society after a wizard named Azazel went on a campaign for magic superiority. Their parents had fought against them, and for that he killed them._

 _"They found her in front of your beds." Deanna finished, starting to become overwhelmed with emotion, "She died protecting you."_

 _The boys were quiet for a moment, then Sam said, "Why didn't he kill us, too?"_

 _"He tried." Lafiette admitted, "But when he did something happened that had never happened before, and has never happened since. Somehow, he wasn't able to, somehow you were protected. The only sign an attack even happen was that lightening blot on your heads." He pointed to the boys' matching scars._

 _"And what happened to him?" Dean asked, putting an arm around Sam protectively, "Where is he now?"_

 _"After that night, he disappeared." Lafiette answered, "No one knows what happened to him. Some say he's in hiding, other say whatever happened that night somehow destroyed him."_

 _Both boys were quiet for a minute. It was a lot to come in._

 _"Now, I this is a lot for both of you," Haggrid began, "But I really need to take Dean now."_

 _"Take me where?" Dean demanded, backing up with Sam a little._

 _"Why to Hogwarts of course!" Lafitte bellow, "Finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. We normally don't get this involved, but no one responded to any of the letters." He glared at Samuel._

 _"I'm am not paying for some old-fool to teach him magic tricks!" Samuel declared._

 _Both Lafitte and Deanna stood up. "Then I will."Deanna said, before Lafitte could do anything._

 _Surprised, Lafitte turned to her. "That won't be nessacary, Mrs. Campbell." He informed her, "Your grandsons' parents left them well-provided for."_

 _"What does that mean?" Dean asked, standing up._

 _Deanna walked over to him and took his hand, "Why don't we all find out together?"_

 _And then, together, the four of them walked out._

 **Hogwarts**

 **Present Day**

"Dude, what are you doing?" Dean asked, as he saw Sam hide something in one of the shelves.

"What, we've helped out our parallels before." Sam reminded them, "I'm just leaving them a little cheat sheet."

"Only you could do that from memory." Dean quipped.

"I never said how good it was," Sam said, before taking out the book and reading, ," Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills..."


	93. Send In TheSam?

**AN: Thanks to NorthernShingami for this request.**

When they came to this time they were in the folds of a blue-and-green circus tent, and they would hear wild, cheery, music. Dean leaned in, pulling a fold back, and peaked inside.

In the tent a group of clowns were beginning their act. One clown was pulling balloons out of his over-sized pants, held up by suspenders. The other clown got an exaggerated look of surprise.

Dean smiled in amusement, then his eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the person pulling the balloons. "Well," He said out loud, "If I can be pilot..."

"What does that mean?" Sam asked, "What's going on in there?"

"Apparently," Dean said slowly, "You are a clown. Like an actual clown."


	94. A Three-Ring Circus

"What do you mean, an actual clown?" Sam asked.

"Like, a full make-up, goofing off for profit, clown." Dean elaborated.

Sam paused for a moment, taking it in, then shrugged. "Like you said," He replied, "Makes about as much sense as you being a pilot."

 **Wichita, Kansas**

 **An Hour Earlier**

 _Sam was preparing for the show. He had finished the rigorous task of applying his make-up and was now straitening his clothes. Excepts for the parts that weren't suppose to be straitened._

 _Even since he was kid, Sam was good at making people laugh. Eventually he deiced to make a career of it. It took a few years of training, but he was able to find a job at the circus soon after, so that was lucky._

 _He walked out into the main area where the others had gathered. Their ringleader, a young woman with smooth dark hair, had just stepped up to the front of the crowd._

 _"Okay guys," She began, "I know this hasn't been the best year for us. It's hard to get people interested in circuses now a days. But, they haven't killed us yet, and as long there's still life in this circus, we will give them the best show we can! Now let's get out here and do this thing!"_

 _One of the acrobats stepped forward, and started clapping. Soon they all were. That woman was the glue that held this crazy bunch together._

 _Sam waited with the others while he and his partner waited for to hear the ringleader announce him._

 _At last the ringer said, "Boy, that was exciting folks. You know what, after something like that you need something lighter. Something funny-"_

 _And with that, they were on._

 **Wichita, Kansas'**

 **Right Now**

"Why are you not more freaked out?" Dean asked.

"I guess after 40 universes I've gone a little numb." Sam confessed, "We can come from a family of circus people and I wouldn't be shocked. Doesn't mean I want to meet him thought."

Dean smirked. "You should watch _Bones_ sometime. You and Booth could start a support group."

After clearing that up, they quickly prepared the spell. Dean read from the book, ," Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind started to blow moving the tent slightly and soon they had dispeared into the light again.

 **AN: For those who didn't get the reference, Booth is afraid of clowns. So he and Sam would probably get along.**


	95. Another One?

**AN: Special thanks to for this request.**

When they came to they were in what looked to be a convince store. They heard a woman's voice saying, "These are the ones you want. They're the best quality."

They peaked over to see a blonde woman in a red vest handing some kind of package to gangly girl who appeared to be about twelve.

"Thank you ma'am." The girl said, taking it.

"Let's go get you checked out then." The woman replied, "If that's all you need?"

"It is." The girl replied, allowing the woman to lead her to the check out.

The boys tried blend in and hopped they just looked like costumers as the clerk ringed up the package which they now realized was labeled _Always._

"Oh." They said almost simultaneously, suddenly uncomfortable.

The girl started counting out money, looking disconcerted as came to the end of it. "I'm sorry; I don't have enough for this. Can I go outside, see if my brother has more?"

The brothers felt a pain of sympathy for the girl who was clearly embarrassed at the fact she didn't have enough to pay for the sanitary napkins. Dean stepped forward and called out, "Excuse me."

The girl turned around, looking surprised and nervous.

"If you don't mind I could probably cover the part you don't have."Dean offered, pulling out his wallet.

"No, sir, that's not necessary-" The girl began, but her voice trailed off.

"I insist." Dean replied, "How much do you need?"

"About two dollars." The girl answered.

Dean pulled out two ones and handed it to her.

"Thank you, sir." The girl said, her voice rather emotional, "Thank you so much."

"No problem, Miss-"Dean began before realizing he had no clue what the girl's name was.

"Winchester." The girl replied, "Samuela Winchester."


	96. Not Exactly The Same

**AN: L. Leon was the one who made this request. That was who I tried to thank last time. Sorry.**

"Samuela," Dean repeated, "That's a-that's a different name."

"I know." Samuela replied, a look of displeasure crossing her features.

"Tell you what," Dean said, "I bet you like to be called Sam."

Samuela's eyes widened. "How did you know that?!"

"Lucky guess." Dean answered.

"Well, thank you again." Sam said sincerely, "Thank you so, so much."

"Don't mention it." Dean said, walking away with his Sam.

"So I guess we're both girls again?" The adult male Sam guessed.

Dean was about to agree when he saw who the female Sam went out to. "Well, not both of us."

Sam turned around and saw the female Sam embracing a rather uncomfortable looking teenage, _male_ Dean.

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **1982**

 _Dean looked up to see his parents in the doorway, his mother with a hand on her large stomach._

 _"Honey," She said as they both walked over to him, kneeling so they were as tall as he was, "We need to talk to you about the baby."_

 _"Is it ready to come out?" Dean said, perking up._

 _Mary smiled. "Not yet. But we know what's it gonna be now. A boy or girl."_

 _"Is it a boy?" Dean asked hopefully._

 _"No." Mary replied, "It's a girl."_

 _Dean's face fell. "Are they sure?"_

 **Fading Willows, Florida**

 **Twelve Years Later**

 _Dean walked into the hotel and found to his shock his little sister sprawled out on the ground semi-conscious, salt and holy water split on the ground around her._

 _"Sami!" Dean screamed rushing to her side, and pulling her up, "What happened? Are you hurt?"_

 _"I don't know." Sam replied weakly, starting to come to._

 _"What were you trying to fight in here?" Dean asked, looking around at the battle that appeared to have happen._

 _"Me." Sam answered, "Dean I-Dean I'm think I'm possessed."_

 _That one threw Dean "What?"_

 _"I've been feeling sick the last couple of days." Sam explained, "And when I woke up today, my sides hurt, and when I peed everything was-"_

 _"Woe," Dean said, realizing where this was going, "Woe, woe, woe. Stop right there. Sami, I think I know what's going on here, and good news, you're not possessed. The bad news..."_

 _And so, as they walked to the nearest store, Dean had a very awkward talk with his baby sister about the birds and the bees._

 _"And this is going to happen every month?" Sam asked._

 _"At least until you have a baby." Dean said, then realizing what he just said quickly added, "But don't you go getting pregnant. You are much too young, we can't properly take care of the baby, and pregnancy comes with its own set of problems."_

 _At that point they arrived at the store. He handed Sam what he thought would be enough money for sanity napkins, saying, "I'll be right out here when you get done."_

 _Sam looked up at him. "You're not going in with me?"_

 _"I'm afraid I wouldn't be much help to you." Dean replied, "I'm sorry."_

 _And so, embarrassed and scared, Samuela Winchester walked into the store._

 **Fading Willows, Florida**

 **Right Now**

The male Winchesters watch as their young counter-parts walked off, scurried away looking for a hidden place to do the spell.

They found a back storage room where thankfully no one was around. They prepared the spell then Sam read, ," Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind blew, knocking over several boxes. As the light over took them they wished the spell wasn't so destructive.


	97. The Biggest Shock : Part 2

**Special Thanks to for this request.**

 **Remember chapters 57-58? Well, we're doing again, only unrelated (The only reason I'm doing it again, that and the freak-out from canon! Sam and Dean.) Those with particularly strong feelings on the matter might just want to skip this and the next chapter.**

When they came to this time they were in what appeared to be a living room, the sound of clattering plates in the background.

They peaked into see Dean dodging a little boy with oddly enough red hair. "Hey, quit it," He said as the boy grabbed onto him, "Quit it!" Realizing it was no use, he called out, "Honey! A little help here!"

Suddenly Sam came into view grabbing the little boy gently and removing them from Dean's leg. "You both need to stop messing around or we're going to be late." He said in an accented voice.

Dean almost let out a shout of disgusted shock, but Sam covered his mouth just in time. However, Dean's eyes said it all. How were there two universes like these?

However, Sam had noticed something else. _Why am I British?_ He mouthed.


	98. The Scholar And The Hunter

**AN: L. Leon was the who made this request. I don't know why that name won't stick. I swore I wrote it last time.**

 **Topeka, Kansas**

 **2002**

 _"Sam." He heard a female voice calling his name, gently shaking him, "Samuel, time to wake up."_

 _His eyes fluttered open and he saw his sister Antonia looking at him. He was confused for a moment, then he remembered. "I fell asleep?" Was the first thing he asked._

 _"Halfway through the flight." She replied as they both stood up. Sam went to get their carry-ons and she stepped in his way saying, "I can get that. You have enough to worry about."_

 _"Oh, Toni, please don't start." Sam pleaded. He knew she hated the situation. She hated the idea of the alliance with the American of Letters, she thought the idea of sealing it with an arrange marriage was archaic and the most ridiculous idea she ever heard, and when her precious little brother was drafted as a member of this union she threw a vase at a superior's head._

 _But Magnus had been running amuck in Britain with his army of witches and monsters and crazy experiments and their operatives were dropping like flies, so they had to reach across the pound for help. And whoever's bright idea it was to finalize it in this matter, it was done. And Toni had probably sealed his fate with the vase incident, as he had neogicate her safety with his hand in marriage. So here they were._

 _Besides, better him then someone who has a chance at finding love. Sam already had and lost it._

 _"I'll behave if he does." Toni replied tersely getting the bags and beginning to walk down the aisle._

 _Sam's heart jumped into his throat. As grateful as he was not to be doing this alone for the moment, he was afraid his sister was going to do something rash and this whole thing was going to fall apart._

 _As they walked through the terminal Sam's eyes darted around at his first look at the country which he was probably be going to spend the rest of his life in. The airport was rather bust, everyone running around, people chatting and doing business, some fighting. It wasn't like he wasn't use to large cities and busy areas, but for some reason he suddenly felt so small. Then he saw someone standing in a line of people waiting to receive passengers from the incoming flights._

 _His future husband, Dean Winchester, holding a piece of paper with his name on it._

 _Sam stopped in his tracks for a moment. No one told them Dean was going to be here. In fact, from his understanding no one was going to meet them there, period. He regained his composure and walked towards him. "Dean Winchester?" He asked, in spite of himself._

 _"That's me." He said, extending his hand to shake, "And you must be Samuel Bevel. Or do you prefer Sam?"_

 _"Actually, yeah." Sam replied, shaking his hand._

 _"And who is your pretty friend here?" Dean asked._

 _Toni opened his mouth to speak, but Sam cut her off, saying, "This is my sister, Toni. They didn't tell us anyone was going to be here."_

 _"Come on, you think we're going to let you wonder around a foreign country with no clue of where you're going?" Dean responded. In truth, there hadn't been any plan to meet Sam when he got here to make sure he arrived at the bunker safe, and no way Dean was going to stand by and leave some poor kid who was probably scared out of his mind wonder around all alone. "Now, if you'll follow me."_

 _Dean led them to the parking lot where a black car was waiting. He pulled open the front passenger-side door and gestured to Sam._

 _Sam apprehensively over to shot gun sheet and slid in. Toni sighed and got in the back._

 _Suffice it to say, ride was rather awkward. "Where are we going?" Sam asked at last._

 _"Two and half hour drive to Normal," Dean replied, "Then to headquarters. Some of the higher-ups our gonna meet us there, get a few things finalized, then we'll have the wedding in a couple of days. Something I've never thought I say, at least not like this." There was a moment of awkward silence, then Dean said, "So, Sammy, what did you do, back in England, I mean?"_

 _"I recorded information, sent it out to the other operatives." Sam replied nervously._

 _"So, you were like a scholar?" Dean asked._

 _A small smile crossed Sam's lips. "I guess you could call it that. And what about you? They didn't tell me that much about you."_

 _"Well, I'm a-lesiasion of short between the Men of Letters and the Hunters." Dean answered._

 _"That makes sense given your...background." Toni spoke up._

 _"Toni!" Sam exclaimed._

 _"No, no, it's alright." Dean said, "I'm use to it." The look in his eyes said otherwise._

 _"Dean, on behalf of my sister, I apologize." Sam declared._

 _"Really, it's fine." Dean insisted._

 _"No, it's not." Sam replied, "Just because your mother's a Hunter doesn't mean you deserve scorn. Who knows if that's even a bad thing?"_

 _There was silence for a moment then Dean said, "Sammy, I think this could be the start of a beautiful relationship."_

 _The meeting at the bunker was rather brief and then it was off to Dean's parents' place, where they were waiting for them._

 _"Sam, there are my parents, John and Mary," Dean introduced them, "Mom, Dad, this is Sam and his sister, Toni."_

 _"Good to meet you." Mary said shaking his hand._

 _"You, too." Sam replied, eying her curiously in spite of himself. He hadn't really had much contact with the hunters in Brittan._

 _Either Mary didn't notice or she didn't mind as she led them into the house. "Will they be needing any help with their bags?" Mary asked Dean._

 _"I got it." Dean said, holding up the carry-ones he insisted on taking._

 _Mary looked at Sam. "You are aware you'll be living here, right?"_

 _"They told me to pack ask so I gave everything away or put in storage." Sam replied sheepishly._

 _Mary shot John a look and he gave her an imploring one back._

 _So, they weren't happy with the situation either._

 _"So Dean," Toni began, and the men could tell from her voice she was about to make a barb at him, "You still live with your parents?"_

 _Sam tensed up, but Dean, not missing a beat said, "No, my apartment's just not big enough for two people." Looking at Sam he added, "I was thinking maybe we could start looking for a new one once everything gets settled."_

 _"That'd be fine." Sam said, of two minds of the subject. On one hand, Dean's statement just drove home the fact that when all was said and done Sam would be living with this man he didn't know. On the other hand, he was grateful Dean was involving him in such a big decision._

 _At the end of the night, Sam was pulling back the blankets on the bed in the guestroom, when he felt a presence behind him. He turned around and saw Dean standing in the doorway._

 _"Hey," Sam spoke up, "Did you need something?"_

 _"No," Dean replied, "Just making sure you were okay."_

 _"Thank you," Sam replied, "Really. Thanks for trying to make this work."_

 _"It's nothing." Dean said, almost bashfully._

 _"To you," Sam responded. For some reason he found himself unable to articulate anything beyond that. For him, it was everything._

 _"Okay." Dean said slowly, "Good night, then."_

 _"You, too." Sam awkwardly._

 _When Dean walked down the hall to his room he found Toni standing in the doorway. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked, his voice laced with sarcasm._

 _"I want to make you an offer," Toni replied somberly, "I'm told that you're not exactly like my brother. That you like-women as well."_

 _"That's true." Dean confirmed, "Where are you going with this?"_

 _"Take me instead." Toni offered._

 _"Excuse me?" Dean asked._

 _"I'll marry you, and Sam goes back home where he belongs." Toni repeated, her voice shaking._

 _"Look, that's moving, really, but I don't think that's gonna work." Dean replied._

 _"Why not?!" Toni demanded._

 _"Because you're already married!" Dean exclaimed._

 _"I'm getting divorced!" Toni pointed out, "Just -postpone things until I can get finalized, and get Nathan settled with his father."_

 _Dean was silent for a moment, getting thoughts together. "Look," He said finally, "I know I'm not what you want for your brother..."_

 _"That's an understatement," Toni snarked, "And you linage is just the tip of the iceberg."_

 _"I know." Dean said, "And maybe two months ago, if someone had stopped this crazy train what you're suggesting would have worked. Or anything else would have worked. But we're stuck in this town and all I do now is try to see that brother has the best life possible."_

 _Later that night, Dean was awoken by the sound of screaming. Realizing it was coming from the guess room, he lept up and down the hall. He found Sam thrashing in his bed moaning, "Dom, don't! Please, don't, I'll do it! Dom!"_

 _Dean hurried to the bed and started shaking him. "Sam, it's okay, you're having a nightmare. Sam, you have to wake up now! Sam!"_

 _Sam eyes fluttered open, he sat up, breathing heavily as he looked around._

 _"You were having some kind of nightmare." Dean explained, "You were saying something about someone named Dom?"_

 _"Oh," Sam said softly, "Sorry."_

 _"It's alright." Dean assured him, "We all get those from time to time. Do you mind me asking you Dom is?"_

 _"I don't want to talk about it." Sam replied, his voice barely above a whisper._

 **Normal, Kansas**

 **Two Days Later**

 _Both young men standing in front of the judge's desk. A part from the judge the only people there were the Winchesters, John's elderly father Henry, and Toni, her lips in a thin crease._

 _The judge handed Dean the pin. "Sign there." He instructed._

 _Dean's hand shook as he put the pin the paper. He had tried to accept his fate, being almost phyisocpical about it, but suddenly he felt the need to turn around, run and never come back. Why do something so utterly life-changing for a group of people who half of them assume he's a thug?_

 _Then he looked over at Sam. If Dean felt like bolting the poor boy looked like he was about to do it. Dean decided he could put on a brave face. For him. He sighed the paper then handed the pen to Sam. Sam closed his eyes, placing the pin on the line._

 _The judge, who was unaware that the pair had just met two days before, or anything else about the situation for the matter, chuckled. "I was nervous on my wedding day, too." He commented, "It's alright son. Everything's going to be just fine."_

 _Sam opened his eyes and signed the paper._

 _And just like, they were married._

 **Normal, Kansas**

 **Three Months And A Half Months Later**

 _"Hand me that wrench, will ya?" Dean asked, his body half in the entigne of a beat-up truck._

 _Fixing old cars was Dean's hobby. He had picked up from his father, who had learnt from mother, who had worked as mechanic during World War II. When Sam started watching him, he asked if he wanted to help._

 _Sam handed it to him and Dean's hand lingered for a little too long, causing Sam to quickly pull back, nearly dropping the tool._

 _"Sorry," Dean said sincerely, guilty for ruining the activity with his issues._

 _Dean had started to develop feelings for Sam a weeks after they got married. It became obvious to everything including Sam. There was just one problem._

 _Sam didn't feel the same thing. He couldn't._

 **Normal, Kansas**

 **Four Weeks Later**

 _"Sam, I think you need to see someone." Dean said._

 _Sam froze over the cup of coffee he was pouring then slowly turned around. "What do you mean see someone?"_

 _"See someone about these nightmares you keep having." Dean elaborated._

 _While he didn't always scream like he did that first night, the nightmares were still happening almost nightly. They always involved whoever this Dom person was._

 _"There's this hunter I know, Lizzie Donavan," Dean continued, "She used to shrink before a Wraith killed her sister. It couldn't hurt."_

 _"Dean, I don't need a therapist." Sam insisted, sitting down._

 _"Look, I don't know who this guy Dom was to you or what happened to him-" Dean began._

 _"He was by boyfriend." Sam said softly. Then his eyes widened in surprise, that he had actually said it out loud._

 _Surprised, Dean was quiet for a moment. "Did he hurt you?" Dean asked. Lizzie said something to once about domestic violence could cause things like PSTD, though it wasn't common, or something like that. Dean hadn't been paying that close attention._

 _"No," Sam said quickly, "No, nothing like that."_

 _Then another possibility dawned on him. "Did you have to break up with him because of this?"_

 _"It's not that, either." Sam replied, then went silent again. It wasn't just that what happened was hard to talk about. The British Men of Letters hadn't informed the American Men of Letters of all their practices, and if he told..._

 _Realize Sam was scared, Dean said, "Sam, you're safe here. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."_

 _Sam knew Dean wasn't going to let this go, and that when Dean said he wouldn't let anything happen to him, he meant it. So he opened his mouth and began._

 **Normal, Kansas**

 **Two Hours Later**

 _Mary walked towards the rapid knocking on the door. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" She called out. She looked through the peephole and saw an reengaged looking Dean, standing next to Sam, who looked absolutely terrified._

 _Mary threw open the door, asking franticly, "What is it? What's happened?"_

 _"We need to talk to Dad, or Grandpa, or both." Dean said anger rippling though his voice, "Now."_

 _Mary quickly summoned both Winchester, and they all wound up in the kitchen surround the couple._

 _"It's okay," Dean assured Sam, squeezing his hand, "Just tell them what you told me."_

 _"When I-when I was going through training, the headmistress told me and my boyfriend Dominic to her office," Sam began, feeling like he was about the puke, "There was plastic on the floor and a dagger on the table..."_

 _The Winchesters exchanged looks. This couldn't be going anywhere good._

 _"She told us only one of us was coming out, " Sam continued, "It was suppose to be test, to see if would always followed orders. When she Dom picked up the knife, and..."_

 _"And what?" Henry asked, firmly but gently._

 _"Stabbed himself," Sam said, breaking into tears, " I tried to stop the bleeding, but he just smeared the blood on me and put my hand on the hilt. His last words were to tell them I did..."_

 _That wasn't completely true. He also told Sam he loved him._

 _John rubbed his face wearily. "And they make everyone go thought...test?"_

 _Sam nodded._

 _"Who the Hell have you people gotten into bed with ?!" Mary exclaimed._

 _" And that's not even the worst of it. Dean said, placing his arms around Sam, who was hysterical now " Apparently members who object to their practices have a habit of meeting with tragic accidents, including his mother, whose break failure after this happened. These people are worst then the things they hunt. They have to be stopped."_

 _"Don't worry." Henry said, "They will be."_

 **Lebanon, Kansas**

 **Two Weeks Later**

 _Sam shifted awkwardly in a chair staring at the grey-eyed blonde in front him. He didn't know how Dean had talked him into this._

 _"So, Sam, may I call you Sam?" Lizzie began._

 _"Sure." Sam replied._

 _"How have you been?" Lizzie asked, "You know with everything going on?"_

 _"You mean, the American Men of Letters completely taking over the London Chapter House, the majority of the people I grew up considering me traitor who deserves death, including my sister, who isn't returning my calls, and both Dean and I being transferred to the Bunker for our own safety?" Sam replied._

 _"Yeah," Lizzie said, "All that."_

 _"To be honest, I don't actually know," Sam replied, "First I was scared, upset, angry, then I went numb for a few days and now-I'm not feeling any of that."_

 _"Okay." Lizzie said, jotting down some notes, "What about Dean? How are things going with him?"_

 _"Actually, pretty," Sam replied, "He's been great through all of this." The hunter had basically become a one-man support system._

 _"And the relationship?" Lizzie asked, "Are you both still strictly in the friend zone?"_

 _Sam was silent. It was getting harder and harder to deny his feelings for him, especially with all Dean had done for him, but he couldn't act on it. It would feel like he was betraying Dominic._

 _"You know he'd want you to be happy." Lizzie said gently, as if reading Sam's mind._

 _"How?" Sam responded, " How do you know that? You didn't even know him?"_

 _"I know he killed himself so that you wouldn't have to and you could live." Lizzie replied calmly, "So he would want you to live."_

 _After the appointing Sam marched through the bunker until he found Dean who was preparing for a hunt. "Hey," He said turning around to look at him, "So how did things go with Lizzie?"_

 _Sam responded by marching over to him and kissing him deeply actually dipping the shorter man a little._

 **Lebanon, Kansas**

 **Three Years Later**

 _Dean shut the door, the buddle in his arm stirring a little._

 _Sam was waiting for him at the door. "Is that him?"_

 _"Yeah," Dean answered, "That's him."_

 _He had been hunting a skin walker that for whatever reason had made launch of a couple with a new baby. He managed to save the time, but couldn't find another family, so he called Sam to see if they could keep him until they could figure something else out. To his surprise, Sam had said yes._

 _"I got the crib ready and sink of water." Sam said, "Come one."_

 _They washed the baby, whose name was Nick, put him in some clean clothes, then put him in the crib in their room._

 _"Good night, little guy," Dean said softly, smiling down at him._

 _Sam smirked, "You're already getting attached."_

 _"No, I'm not." Dean said, "I know this is only temporary."_

 **Lebanon, Kansas**

 **Present Day**

The family left the house and Sam and Dean started to quickly assemble the spell. Dean read, " Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända...


	99. Land Before Time

**AN: Special Thanks to FamRoyalty for this request.**

Their vision cleared this time they were in a lush green jungle. A lush green _hot_ jungle. Seriously, it might be that they had been in air-conditioned house before, but suddenly they were sweltering.

Standing up, Dean noticed a strange fruit he had never seen before on one of the trees. It was shaped like a lemon and had the same color, but it was small, almost the size of infidel grape, and it grew in small bunches. Out of curiosity, he reached out and carefully picked one.

"Dude, don't." Sam cautioned, "It could be poisonous."

Dean gave the fruit an inspecting eye and then put it in his mouth, his eyes widening. It was the best fruit he had ever tasted, like orange and strawberry with undertones of darker fruits like fig. He reached out and grabbed two handfuls of the things. "What?" He responded upon seeing the irritated look Sam was giving him, "We can't get anything this good back home. " He held one of the fruits out to him, "Here have one."

Since Dean didn't keel over Sam caciously put one in his mouth. "Oh, that's good." Sam admitted, "That's really good."

"I know!" Dean exclaimed.

Just then they were interrupted by the son of child-like giggling.

Now it was Sam curiosity that got the better of him. He peeled back a bush and gapped at what he saw.

There was cluster about five figures, with a basic human shaped. But that was where the similarities ended. They glowed with a slivery-white lumnience. Their eyes were blank, like an old stone statue, no colorful iris or dark pupil. And on their backs were giant wings.

 _"These must be what angels really look like."_ Sam thought, _"Then why aren't my eyes burning? And is it just me or are they-playing?"_

Indeed, it looked like they were playing some kind of game. Tag, maybe? He couldn't be sure.

Then one of them called out, "Look! Over there!" pointing in Sam's direction.


	100. Innocent Angels

**AN: I can't believe this is the 100th chapter. This was never supposed to be this long. Thanks to all the people who've read, reviewed and requested things. I would have never done this without you.**

At least that what's Sam thought it had said. His Enchiocian was a little rusty and that was the angel had spoken in, and was still continuing to chatter excitedly in.

Suddenly, the angels flew a good foot in the air, lunging at Sam and Dean.

Before they could act the angles had them pined to the ground. One of them emptied the contents of the bag while another pulled off Dean's shoe. "Look, fellas," Dean began, "I know this looks bad, but we can explain...what are you doing with my feet?"

The two angels plating little piggy with Dean's feet looked up, squiching their eyes as if they were baffled.

"Sam," Dean said, "I don't think they speak English.

"Well, this complicates things." Sam replied, as two of his own angels pulled at his hair.

"Ouch!" He shouted, which caused them to let go. They seemed somewhat dismayed that they had hurt him.

Dean and Sam exchanged looks. "Have they-have they never seen a human before?" Dean asked ,"Are you the first humans they've ever seen?"

 **Heaven**

 **Shortly After The World Was Created**

 _God looked down at the world, then looked down at the figure in his hand, thinking._

 _He had made Earth, and now was in the process of filling it up. He had made all the plant, all the animals now that was left was for some more intelligent life. Humanity._

 _But then he looked at his other intelligent creatations, the angels. They were exploring the planet as he thought. Everything was so new to them. And when God brought this new creature into being, they would have to grow up. Fast._

 _And with that, God set the figure down. He was going to let his children be children for a little while longer._

 **Eden**

 **Present Day**

"I think we might be Dean," Sam said, posistioning himself in an upright position, "And maybe we can work with that."

"How? " Dean asked.

"They're just curious, they won't to hurt us," Sam reasoned, "So maybe if we wait them out they'll let us go when they get board."

However, then angels began to talk amongst themselves again, and the boys found themselves being lifted up into the air.

"You were saying?" Dean said.


	101. Angels In The Mist

The Winchesters struggled against their angelic captors, but they just got further in the air, away from the bag which had been spilled out on the ground.

Dean managed to get one arm free, but found himself falling through the air before the angles quickly gathered him up again. It was then he decided it might be better to wait until they landed to try to escape.

Then they saw their angelic captors approaching a nearby mountain range.

Why couldn't anything ever be easy?

As they got closer, they could make out two luminous figures in the mouth of a cave. They angels gently sit them down in the cave before calling, "Michael!" followed by string of excited Enochian.

"Great." Dean thought allowed, "As if things weren't bad enough now they're taken us to their leader."

However, Michael seemed just as curious as the others, kneeling down next to Dean and caressing his face. "Okay," Dean said, "This is a little different than last time we met."

Michael began to ask questions of the other angels, while his companion started to look the human over.

As they tried to fend off the other angel, they tried to make out what their angels were saying, or at least get their names. It sounded like one of them was called Inais, the name sounded familiar, maybe they had met him once, Cas in the group, not too shocking, but oddly enough Uriel was also in the group. More so, he looked like one of the angels who got upset when they accidently hurt Sam.

 _"I guess their personalities are different here."_ Sam wondered to himself. Or maybe their personsonalities weren't completely formed yet. Maybe they were still like children.

He was shaken from his thoughts by Dean nudging his shoulder. "Dude, we have to find a way out of here." He said, "Sure, they don't mean any harm, but kids have a habit of accidently breaking their new toys."

"I'm thinking Dean." Sam replied.

"Well, that makes two of us." Dean informed him.

Hours pasted, the sun set and they couldn't think of any solution, at least to the problem of being trapped in cave with a bunch of angels who were picking at every part of them.

Dean had, however, found of solution to another problem.

He pulled a handful of the fruit they had gathered earlier, handing half to Sam, "Here"

"Are you sure it's a good idea to pull this out around them?" Sam asked, "I mean what if this is like the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil?"

"Then I get why they traded paradise for a piece of fruit." Dean said, popping two into his mouth.

Sam looked down at the little lemons. He had to admit, he _was_ starving. He wasn't even sure how long it had been since either of them, had eaten! So he started to eat.

Rather than being upset by the fruit, the angels seemed rather curious about it, getting in closer.

"Fruit." Dean said, said, handing it out to them, "Fr-ui-t."

"Fru-it?" One of the angels, Inais, they thought said, slowly, trying the word out on his tongue.

"Fruit," The other angels repeated, and soon the cave was filled with a chorus of the word.

The brother exchanged looks. "Yeah," Dean said, "We were," he put a hand up to his lips, "Eating it, 'cause we were," he made a circular motion of over stomach with his hand, "Hungry? You understand?"

"Dean, they don't _eat_ ," Sam reminded him, "They have no context for what those motions mean."

Indeed, the angels were copying the motions to each other, trying to figure out what they meant.

"Well it got them distracted for while," Dean said, crawling over to the mouth of the cave and looking out. The mountain was devastatingly barren. Dean was hoping he could find something they could use to climb down, but that was not going to happen, so he turned back to Sam, "Well that was a bust." Then he yawned. "Boy, I am beat. Well, who knows when the last time we slept was?"

Sam realized his eyes were feeling heavy, too. "I suppose we could maybe sleep a little bit, as long as we're up here."

"Agreed." Dean said, lying down. Despite the ground being rather uncomfortable, he found himself drifting into unconsciousness.

At least until he felt hands shoving into liver.

His eyes opened quickly, and he found both himself and Sam surrounded by very frightened-looking angels.

"What?" Dean asked, still half-asleep, "What happened? What's wrong?" Then it hit him. The angels didn't sleep or have any concept of sleep. They thought they were dying. "No, no it's okay," He said gently, "We were just sleeping." He paused a minute, trying to think of a way to explain this to him, then repeated the word, "Sleeping." with his head tilted to the side on his hands.

The angels then repeated the movements to themselves, trying to figure out what it means.

"Oh my God, we are actually going to die here." Dean moaned, throwing his head back.

Several on the angels reared back, while other flinched, gasped, or did some conversation of the three.

"What?" Dean said, then it then. "Sorry, guys, I didn't mean-" Dean slowly backed away, prepared for an attack, "I wasn't trying to offend anyone-" His voice trailed off as he fell over the side.

"Dean!" Sam screamed, watching helplessly as his brother fell over the side.

The angels sprung into action, leaping into the air and flying after Dean. They grabbed onto him, pulling him back into the safety of the cave before dropping him to the ground. Still terrified, Dean backed up, just in the other direction.

The other angels looked at each other making confused chatter. Michael said something and they all nodded in agreement.

The Winchesters found themselves being gently picked up and flown off again.

The boys had no clue what was going on, and were honestly terrified, then they recognized where they were going from before. Finally, they began to lower from the sky, through the trees, and then they could see their spell items strone across the jungle floor.

The angels sat them down, looking at them like they didn't want to go.

"Thanks, guys." Dean said, though he knew they couldn't understand.

The angles waved goodbye sadly before taking off. As they fell off, Sam and Dean gathered what materials they could find from the forest floor. Fortunately they were able to find enough of their stuff to create the spell. Dean grabbed a few more handfuls of the small lemon fruit before reading," Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind blew through the trees, making some of the leaves fell off, and soon they were engulfed in the light again, finally taking them away from the longest one they had been in.


	102. Pillow Talk

**AN: Special thanks to Blacksun and Catlover2976 for this request.**

They were once again behind a wall. Dean opened the bag when they heard the sound of Sam laughing, then saying, "You're nuts. You're really and truly, completely nuts."

Though they should know better by now, they peaked over the side as another male's voice said, "I'm nuts? You're the half-feral semi-literate giant, and _I'm_ the crazy one?" The voice sounded familiar, but they couldn't place their finger on it.

They could see a younger version of Sam, his back to them, in large bed covered tope sheet. They could not see where the other person was.

"I'm not semi-literate," Sam replied, "You taught me how to read, remember? Well, you had Athena teach me how to read. And you're the hedonist villigantie, so yes, you are the crazy one. Though, admittedly, you've had turned it down over the years."

"Well," The second speaker said, poking out his head from the other side of the bed, revealing a man with light brown hair, "I guess you've been a good influence on me. Please stop that."

The Winchesters exchanged looks. What was Sam doing in bed with Gabriel?!


	103. Accidental Husband Husbandry

They pulled back before the house's occupants could notice them. "Dude, what the Hell?" Dean whispered, "Gabriel, really?!"

"I didn't do it!" Sam snapped back, "It was some alternate universe version of me."

"But why?" Dean said, "How could any version of you be attacked to a guy who made our lives a living Hell and killed a bunch of people." After a minute he mused, "I guess, maybe in this universe he might have killed a bunch of people..."

"Can we just stop talking about this, please?" Sam requested.

"Oh, so it's only okay when I'm the one in the uber-distrubing relationship?" Dean said, "But when it's you, it's suddenly off-limits."

Just then there was movement from the bedrooms. "Serious, we gotta get up, Dean's gonna be here in like, two hours." That universe's Sam was saying.

"Oh, so apparently I'm supportive of this relationship," Dean said.

 **Olympus, West Virginia**

 **1985**

 _Gabriel let his head fall to side to the side as they girls were laughing about-he wasn't sure, he stopped paying attention half an hour ago? Would this day never end?_

 _Kali was meeting up with some friends at Artemis' place and dragged him along. He'd been sitting uncomfortably in a leather chair for over two hours listening to mind-numbing trivial goddess talk._

 _That was when he saw it. Two little sets of eyes peeking out from the hallway._

 _"Ah, Artemis," He spoke up, "Did you get a little-broody and find yourself some kids?"_

 _The goddess of the hunt looked back to where he was looking and caught sight of the boys. "Oh, we mean my new pets."_

 _"Pets?" Kali asked, somewhat intrigued._

 _Artemis smiled sly. "You see, a few weeks ago there was this hunter, and I had to show him what happens when you disrespect your goddess..."_

 _"Oh, Artemis," Athena lamented, "You can't have every hunter that accidently sees you in the bath mauled to death..."_

 _"What this one did was 100 times worst than Actaeon," Artemis cut her off; "He actually tried to kill me._ Me, _the goddess of hunters, his own goddess. So I killed him first to make an example of them. Then I went back to his motel to look for some way to really drive the point home and I found these two and thought, they're kind of cute. So I decided to keep the for pets." She looked over to the children. "Boys, come out. I want to show you off."_

 _The older one, about six, holding the hand of the younger one, who couldn't be more than two. They older one kept his head ducked down and the younger one's legs were shaking._

 _Gabriel felt sorry for the boys, what could he do? Even he knew it was a bad idea to mess Artemis._

 **Diego, West Virginia**

 **1995**

 _Artemis' eyes scanned the room, looking for Loki. At last he spotted them at the both, a straw from a milkshake in his mouth. She sauntered over to him and set down. "So, what was this extremely important thing you had to tell me?"_

 _"It's abbot your pets." Gabriel began._

 _"Oh, I am so sick of getting flack over them," Artemis groaned, "We slaughter human, then dismember and eat their bodies on a near-daylily basis, and_ I'm _the one who's inhumane? I feed them; give them a place to sleep-"_

 _"This is not about how treat them," Gabriel cut her off, "Though certain parts of that are concerning. This is about who they are."_

 _"Excuse me?" Artemis asked._

 _"Look, I can't explain how, "Gabriel began, "But I have some-inside celestial information about Apocalypse, how it's supposed to go down, and your pets? Yeah, they're the vessels for Michael and Lucifer."_

 _Artemis' eyes widened. "And you're just telling me this, now?!"_

 _"I only put two and two together recently," Gabriel replied, "After I learned their last name."_

 _"And how do you know this?" Artemis demanded._

 _"I just told you, I can't tell you." Gabriel responded, "The point is, you need to let them go."_

 _"To Tarturus with that." Artmis declared standing up and marching towards the door._

 _Gabriel got up and went after her, afraid he had handled this the wrong way. "Artemis wait!" He called out, "Artemis!"_

 **Woods Outside of Olympus, Virginia**

 **Two Days Later**

 _Sam rushed through the trees looking behind him to see if he was still being followed. It was then he realized he was completely alone. "Dean?" He called out, looking around him, "Dean!"_

 _Where was Dean? Had the hounds caught him? Had their mistress? He heard rustling in the distance and he started running again. He burst through the forest and onto the road. He wasn't sure where he was going he just had to get away from there. And he had to find Dean._

 _Suddenly he hit something. He pulled back but felt hands holding onto his. "Hey, kid, it's okay, calm down." The voice urged, "What are you doing out here?"_

 _He looked up a realized he recognized the face. "Loki?" He rasped, "What are you doing here?"_

 _"How do you-"Loki began before he recognized the boy, "Sam? What are you doing out here?"_

 _"Mistress went crazy," Sam said franticly, "She tried to kill me and Dean, but we got away, so she set the hounds on us, and I lost Dean, and -"_

 _"Okay, okay," Gabriel cut him off gently, "Now let's get you out of here."_

 _"B-but what about Dean?" Sam asked, allowing the archangel/ pagan god to scoop him up in his arms._

 _"I'll come back for him." Gabriel said, "I promise." And then he teleported._

 _They ended up in a nicely furnished apartment, one of a few Gabriel kept on hand. He walked into the bed and laid Sam down on it, the boy in tears in that point._

 _"It'll be okay," Gabriel promised, "I'll find your brother and you can stay with me while we work this out, okay?" He figured he owed them that much since this was his fault. And what would it hurt for them to actually have some nice days before the inevitable?_

 _Sam nodded as Gabriel put his coat over the shaking form before taking off._

 **Angelgrove, Florida**

 **A Week Later**

 _"How can this kid be so hard to find?" Gabriel bemoaned, leaning back in his chair, "I mean, his only living relative is in the other room, he's on the run from a powerful goddess, and he only reads at first grade level! Where could he actually go?!"_

 _"Why did Artemis go all slasher on them?" Anthe asked, "Did the boy say?"_

 _"He doesn't know." Gabriel said, "She just led them out into the woods and tried to take an arrow to each of them."_

 _He decided to leave out the part where_ he _was the cause of the boys' most recent plight._

 _Athena let out a weary sigh, rubbing her tumbles. "I knew something like this was going to happen. I suppose you want my help?"_

 _"Yeah," Gabriel admitting, "I was hoping maybe you could...tutor Sam."_

 _Athena was surprised. She had meant help finding Dean. She wasn't expecting this. "What?"_

 _"I think learning to read, and getting some semblance of an education would really help his self-esteem." Gabriel explained, "And he's eager to learn, and who better to teach him then the goddess of wisdom herself?"_

 _"Stow the flattery Loki." Athena replied, "Does this mean you actually plan to keep the child?"_

 _"Why are you saying it like that?" Gabriel asked, noticing in the concern in the goddess' voice._

 _"Because you're incapable of sufficiently considering your own long-term needs, let alone the long or short-term needs of another." Athena snapped, "And a child is not some toy you can toss when you get bored with it. It's a living being that needs food and warmth and care, and displine and love and can break and die and is going to do stuff that makes you mad sometimes."_

 _"Which is why the Greeks take such good care of their children." Gabriel snarked._

 _"There's a reason I never had kids." Athena responded._

 _"Look, the minute I think I'm not up to the job I promise I'll hand him over to you and you can find a more suitable guardian." Gabriel replied, "If you help me with this."_

 _Athena sighed. "Fine," She relented, "I'll do it. When do you want us to start?" Suddenly a stack of books appeared beside her._

 _"You can start right now." Gabriel said, "Come on, I'll introduce you."_

 _Gabriel lead Athena into the room he had set up for Sam, where the boy was on his bed playing with a toy he had been given. He looked up at the sound of people entering. "Did you find Dean?" He asked hopefully, then realized his benefactor wasn't alone, "What is Athena doing here?"_

 _"You know how we talked about maybe you learning to read?" Gabriel asked, "Well, Athena agreed to teach you."_

 _"Okay." Sam replied, "What about Dean?"_

 _"I'm still looking for him." Gabriel replied, "I'm about try to pick the trail up again."_

 _Sam looked at Athena. "Can you teach Dean too when he finds him?"_

 _Athena gently ran a hand through the boy's hair. "Sure." Then she got a look at Gabriel that let him know that if anything went wrong he was to blame._

 **Angelgrove, Florida**

 **One Year Later**

 _Gabriel peaked into the door, checking on Sam, who was currently working on his homework._

 _He still hadn't found Dean. But he was still looking and Sam kept holding out hope, against all odds. Gabriel knew in all likelihood at this rate the older Winchester was probably dead._

 _No. His brothers would not let that happened. They needed both of them. Then again, looking from the evidence his brothers had probably lost track of the boys somewhere down the line. And lately Gabriel wasn't sure that was bad thing._

 _In the year he spent as Sam's guardian, Gabriel had gotten attached to the boy. He was a great kid, in spite of everything he had been through. And he had a feeling it was thanks to Dean. Neither of them desevered the suffering that was heading their way just because his family need a secession with a shrink. Especially given all they had already been through._

 _Just then Sam looked up. Gabriel teleported before he could see him. He had another lead to follow up on anyway._

 **Goat Waggle, Kentucky**

 **A Month Later**

 _Dean was awoken by the sound of someone opening the door. He jumped out of bed ready for fight if it was anyone other than the couple who let him stay there while he was helping with the harvest._

 _The door opened up and he saw someone he thought he'd recognized, but couldn't remember the name of. He thought he was one of Kali's old boyfriends? Whatever the case, he was a pagan, which meant Dean was in trouble._

 _Dean quickly grabbed his knife form under the cot. "Stay away." He ordered, trying not to sound scared._

 _"It's alright, kid, I'm not here to hurt you." The god informed him, "Though I take from your reaction you're Dean Winchester, Artemis' old 'pet'."_

 _"You can't send me back to her." Dean replied, "I won't let you. I'll-I'll-I'll fight you."_

 _In spite of himself, the god smiled. "I'd like to see you try." He said, "Look, kid, the only person I want to bring you to is your brother."_

 _Dean lowered his knife. "You-you know where Sammy is?" He had been trying to find his little brother all year, although his search kept getting derailed when he had to run from his old mistress or child services or police, or sometimes a combination._

 _"Yeah, he's been living with me." The god answered, "Do you know how long we've been looking for you?"_

 _Instead of answering the question, Dean replied, "If you've hurt him-"_

 _"I haven't." The god cut him off, "I promise. Look, are you coming with me or not?"_

 _Dean just stood there. He stared at the god, then down at the knife. Suddenly he felt a finger on his forehead and everything went black._

 _When Dean woke up everything was blurry for a moment, but then he heard the most beautiful voice he ever heard. "Dean?" Sam's voice said, "Dean, are you okay?"_

 _His vision cleared and he saw Sam and the god who had brought him there standing over them, both wearing varying levels of concern. It was also then he realized whatever he was laying on was the most comfortable thing he had ever known._

 _He sat up and then felt two arms rushed around him. "I was so worried," Sam sobbed, "I didn't know where you went."_

 _"It's okay, Sam." Dean replied, gently rubbing circles on his brother's back, "It's okay. I'm here now, I'm safe, and I'm not gonna let anything happen to you." Then he pulled back to look his little brother over. "Did he hurt you?"_

 _"No," Sam answered, sounding baffled, "He saved me, and he's been helping me."_

 _The boy looked in-between the two. "So what happens now?"_

 _"You'll stay with me." The god said, "At least until I can figure out something better." Then a bed appeared on the other side of the room. He knelt down in front of the pair, "But there's something I have to do, first. You see, Artemis is still looking for you. But I'm not gonna let her find you. There's a way to hide you from her, cravings. But it'll hurt, so I want you to brace yourselves, okay?"_

 _"Okay," Sam agreed._

 _Dean nodded, his agreement, holding Sam's hand._

 _Gabriel put a hand on Sam's shoulder and the boy started screaming in pain._

 _"What did you -"Dean began, but soon broke out in screaming as he felt the searing pain in his ribs._

 _"I'm sorry." Gabriel said, once he was finished, "But it had to be done. It's the only way to keep you both safe."_

 **Angelgrove, Florida**

 **Six Years Later**

 _Sam was standing at the door when Gabriel opened it. "Hey, Gabe," The young man said, embracing the archangel._

 _Gabriel had told them who he really was a few years ago. He couldn't stand lying to them anymore. At least about that. He never did tell them the real reason he had branded their ribs. He figured, it looked like they had all dodged that bullet, so why worry them?_

 _"Hey, Sam." Gabriel replied, quickly breaking the embrace, "It's good to see you in person again."_

 _"You know, you could see me in person more often." Sam replied good naturedly._

 _Gabriel's reluctence to visit the young man came from another thing that had happened during the boys' time in his care. As the boy grew into a rather handsome young man, Gabriel had started to developing feelings for him. And he hated himself for it. He basically raised him, he had been the closet thing either him or Dean had to stable home life, being in anyway romantic with his former charge was wrong. Wasn't it? And so, Gabriel did the one thing he did best: he ran and he hid._

 _However, he might not have done it if he knew the emotional toll it was taken on the young man. He was nineteen, on his own in the big bad world for the first time and here his protector and best friend apart from his brother was shutting him out and he didn't understand why._

 _"So, how are things going?" Gabriel asked, going to get the young man a drink from the fridge._

 _"Okay," Sam replied, taking the soda._

 _"Are you sure?" Gabriel asked, noticing that Sam seemed a little-off._

 _"Yeah," Sam answered, perhaps a little tersely, "Yeah, I'm fine."_

 _The conversation didn't go much better from there. Sure, they were civil, but everything was so forced and awkward. Each was almost grateful when it came time to part for the evening._

 _"Why is he acting like this, Dean?" Sam asked, sitting on the vinyl couch in his brother's apartment, "And why does it bother me so much? I mean, it's not like he hasn't kept secrets from us before, but this time...it's different."_

 _"Why?" Dean asked, trying to guide him in the right direction. He had picked up on what was going on between his brother and their guardian. At first it made him uneasy, and he still wasn't sure about it, but anything was better than what Sam was going through now. The problem one he didn't think he would believe it coming from him._

 _"I don't know." Sam maimed, "I just-just-want him to talk to me." He could feel tears forming in his eyes, causing him to wipe them away before Dean could notice them._

 _Meanwhile, back at Gabriel's Athena was rubbing her face. "Didn't I say this was gonna happen?"_

 _"I believe you were worried I was going to accidently kill them." Gabriel retorted, "You never said anything about falling in love with one of them."_

 _"Whoa," Athena replied, "Did you just say what I think you said?"_

 _"Ah, you'll have to be more specific." Gabriel replied._

 _"I mean that you're in love with this boy." Athena elaborated._

 _"Yeah," Gabriel replied, getting frustrated, "Yeah, I said what you thought I said. Now, before you say anything I do know what love is and I have been in committed relationships before."_

 _"I wasn't going to say that," Athena replied, "Tough before your broach the subject with Sam, you need to be sure. Otherwise it's unfair to either of you."_

 _"I am not broaching the subject with Sam," Gabriel balked, "He can never know about any of this."_

 _"And so refusing to be in the same room with him forever is a reasonable solution?" Athena retorted._

 _Just then there was a rapid knocking on his door. "Gabriel!" Dean's voice shouted, "Open up!"_

 _"Who's Gabriel?" Athena asked, confused._

 _"No one," Gabriel lied, getting up, "Coming Dean."_

 _Gabriel opened up, revealing a very angry looking Dean Winchester. "Do you know what's Sam's doing right now?" He demanded, marching inside._

 _"Hello to you too, Dean." Gabriel snarked._

 _"He's in tears on my couch because he had no clue what's wrong with you!" Dean exclaimed, before realizing they weren't alone._

 _"Don't worry, she knows about me and Sam." Gabriel assured him._

 _"Does she know about-"Dean began, before his voice trailed off and he said, "The point is you need to be strait without him about how you feel."_

 _"What do you mean how I feel?" Gabriel asked._

 _"Do not play dumb with me." Dean said tensely, "I'm not in the mood. You just need to sit him down and tell him you have feelings for him. Whatever happens is gonna happen."_

 _"Thank you, my dear boy!" Athena exclaimed, "That's what I've been trying to get through his thick head!"_

 _The next day, after both Dean and Athena read him the riot act for hours, Gabriel called Sam and asked him to meet him the next day._

 _"Is everything okay?" Sam asked, "You sounded pretty tense on the phone."_

 _"Yeah," Gabriel replied, sitting down next to him, "I just wanted to talk to him. I know I've been kind of distant lately, and I wanted to explain it to you. I don't know how to say this, but..." His voice trailed off, then he suddenly asked, "Would you want to go out? With me? Like, on a date?"_

 _"Did you-" Sam began, "Did you just ask me out on a date?"_

 _"Yes," Gabriel replied, defeat already in his voice, "I'm sorry, if you don't want to ever see me again, I'll understand complete-"_

 _"Actually," Sam began, "I was going to say yes."_

 _"Seriously?" Gabriel asked. He had played this so many times in his head, and he never once imagined him actually saying yes._

 _"Yeah," Sam replied, "Let's give it a try."_

 **Angelgrove, State**

 **Present Day**

"And I get the shower first." The Sam of that universe said.

"Okay." Gabriel gave up quickly.

As the couple left the room, Sam and Dean took the opportunity to get the spell together. This time it was Sam who read. ," Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind picked up, moving the curtains and the tossed bed sheets, then they disappeared into bright light.

"Hey, Gabe!" Sam called out, "Did you hear something?"


	104. Wind Beneath His Wings

AN: Special Thanks to Catlover 2976 for this request.

When Sam and Dean came to they were the clash of a battle behind them.

They turned around to see Dean holding an angel blade, cornering off with three demons. Nothing unusual.

The demon lunged at Dean, but he stabbed him dead. However, in the meantime, the other two demons got the jump on him, pinning him to the ground. "So, what do you think we should do with this one Billy?" One of the demons hissed, "Kill him quickly or have some fun with him first?"

Just then someone swooped down, with a pair of large, dark wings. He hit one of the demons with them, then stabbed the other, before turning his attention to the one he first attacked, which has scars along his face where there wasn't a minute before, then stabbed him as well. It was then they got a good look at the angel's -they were assuming that was what he was, and in this universe, they just had visible, tangible wings-and saw who he was.

It was Sam.

"You okay, brother?" He asked helping Dean to his feet and beginning to heal his wounds.

"I had them on the ropes." Dean protested.

"Sure, you did." Sam teased, "Now, let's go get the girl."

Suddenly a pair of tan wings sprouted from Dean's back. Then, with a flap of their wings, they flew off.


	105. Angels With Odd Names

Sam and Dean watched as their parallel selves flew off into the distance. "So apparently we're both angels in this universe." Dean balked.

"Yeah." Sam breathed, "I wonder if your name is still Dean."

 **Johnsonville, Wisconsin**

 **An Hour Ago**

 _As Dean walked through the woods, he was lost in thought. At last he said, "How did I get named Dean?"_

 _Sam turned to look at him. "Excuse me?"_

 _"Most of other angels have big, unusal, awesome names." Dean explained, "And I get stuck with Dean."_

 _"Dean's a nice name." Sam said, not sure where this was going._

 _"And most of them have something about God in them." Dean contiued, "God's srength, God-inspired, shield of God, gift of God, even your name, Samuel means man who heard God. You wanna know what my name means? Clamming. Or valley. But nothing about God. Did God just not like me for some reason?"_

 _"God likes you." Sam assured him, "He made you, didn't he? Maybe he just ran out of God-related names."_

 _"He's God!" Dean argued, "He could've made up another one. And besides, I'm older than you. If anything, you should be stuck with the name-"_

 _"Sssh!" Sam cut him off hearing something, "I think we found them."_

 _They peered through the trees and saw a group of six demons surrounding an alter on which a bound and gagged human girl was placed._

 _"Maybe we should've brought back up." Sam whispered._

 _"Too late to worry about that now." Dean whispered, "You take the three on the left, I'll take the three on the right, and then we get the girl."_

 _"Okay." Sam agreed._

 _They charged on the demons, caching them off-guard. He stabbed one demon than smitted another. He looked around and saw the third raising a dagger in front of the girl, who was struggling and trying to scream. Sam quickly stabbed the demon, grabbing him before it landed on the girl and throwing it aside._

 _He cut the girls bonds, saying, "It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you." He helped her up, asking, "Are you alright? Apart from the obvious trauma."_

 _"I think so." The girl said, her voice shaky, "What were those things?"_

 _"Um..." Sam began, wondering how to explain it. He was never really good at that part. He looked over to Dean for help only to find him gone. "Okay," He said to the girl, "I need you to wait here for a minute, while I go look for my brother, okay?"_

 _"But what about-"The girl began._

 _"They can't hurt you anymore." Sam cut her off, "I'll be back, I promise." The he opened his wings, and flew off._

 _Dean had followed the demons into another part of the forest, losing them in the process. However, the demons could not help snickering, alerting the angel to their presence. "So, yourselves!" Dean shouted._

 _The demons stepped forth, surrounding him, trying to corner him._

 _One of demon lunged at Dean, but he stabbed him dead. However, in the meantime, the other two demons got the jump on him, pinning him to the ground. "So, what do you think we should do with this one Billy?" One of the demons hissed, "Kill him quickly or have some fun with him first?"_

 _Suddenly there was the flap of wings as Sam came down._

 **Johnsonville, Wisconsin**

 **Right Now**

The boys got over their shock and got the spell together. Sam read from the book this time, ," Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind picked up, causing the branches to shake, and they were engluffed in the white light.


	106. Preventive Medicine

**AN: Special thanks to Ravenclawdiadem16**

When their vision cleared again, they were once again in the hallway of a rather nice house. Them they hear the sound of humming. Dean, being the closet peered over the wall and froze.

Standing in the kitchen, humming to herself, was Jessica Moore at an age she never reached in their universe.

Remembering what happened the last time Sam saw his lost love, Dean reached out and put his hand over his brother's eyes.

"Dean," Sam said, almost forgetting to whisper, "What are you doing?"

"Trust me, you don't need to see this." Dean whispered back.

Just then the doorbell rang and Jessica turned around. Dean took his hand off Sam's face, grabbing his wrist with one hand and the duffle in the other, sprinted down the hall to the bathroom, getting in just in time before Jessica entered the living room.

"Get the stuff out." Dean ordered, shutting the bathroom door.

As Sam did, he asked, "You want to tell me what all that was back there?"

"You want to have to get in a long-drawn-out explanation about who we are and why we're here?" Dean responded.

"Yeah, figured that Dean." Sam replied, "What I meant was what was with the whole see-no-evil, hear-no-evil thing?"

Dean sighed. "Okay, "He said, "Apparently…."

Just then Jessica's voice rang out cheerful, "Hey, Dean."


	107. Twisted Fate

"How does Jess know you?" Sam demanded, "How does Jess know you?"

"Why do you think I know?" Dean replied, "I'm just as in the dark as I am in any other universe."

"Oh, I swear, if you're the one she's with here…" Sam began.

"Sam, I promise you, there is no universe where I would take her away from you." Dean cut him off, "And she didn't really seem like the cheating kind."

"I was actually just assuming we never had a relationship in this universe but thanks for that." Sam said.

"Sam, not home yet," Jessica continued, "But he should be in a few minutes."

For a minute they froze, remembering the universe where Dean had been some sort of serial killer and apparently killed Jessica. _Please, please don't let it be another universe like that._

They waited a few minutes, listening for sounds of an attack, in case they needed to intervene. Then they heard the door open and that universe's Sam walked in.

"Hey, Dean!" He greeted his brother warmly. Apparently, this visit was expected.

 **Revival, Missouri**

 **1983**

 _Minette peaked into the motel room and saw a small child asleep on the bed next to an infant, alone._

 _Minette smiled. This was perfect. She turned her head and softly said, "Come on girls." Before entering the room, followed by the rest of her coven, which consisted of four other young women._

" _Get the stuff set up." Minute ordered, "I'll get the baby."_

" _Will this-hurt him?" The blonde that was setting out the candles in circle on the floor, asked._

" _Did it hurt the other two?" Minette asked, picking up the baby. The movement caused the bed move, which the older boy felt causing him to stir. As his eyes opened, he saw a strange woman picking up his brother, and opened his mouth to scream. Fortunately, one of her girls grabbed up the child, covering his mouth._

" _Kid, it's okay!" The girl said, "We don't want to hurt your brother. In fact, we want to help him!"_

 _The little boy froze._

" _Give him to me." Minette ordered, "I'll explain everything."_

 _After calming the child down some more, Minette began, "Dean, you know what happened to your mommy? Why she's not here anymore?"_

 _Dean nodded._

" _Well, on that night, the bad man that did that also did something to Sam." Minette explained, "Only it's not something you can see, and it what he did to him won't cause anything right away. But it will many, many years from now when Sam is a grown-up. Do you understand?"_

" _Not really." Dean replied, "But this is bad, right?"_

 _Minette nodded. "But me and my friends can fix the thing the bad man did to Sam, which is what we're trying to do now. But to that, I need you to be very quiet and not get in the way, okay?"_

" _Okay." Dean said softly. If it helped his brother, he was willing to let them do it._

 _Just then the blonde who had set-up the candles came over to them. "Minette, we're ready." She said._

 _Minette stood up with Sam and walked into the middle of the circle. "Anna Reid, if you please."_

 _Anna Reid walked into the circle with an alabaster jar containing a mixture of holy water and virgin's blood (gathered from various blood samples so no one actually died). She began to pour it over Sam as he began to cry and Minette began to chant "hoc violate thorium, etifenin super immunities pollute ex hoc quad etifenin ut pollueretur facere pura iterum"_

 _Suddenly Sam stop crying and began to gag, spitting up a noxious black goop._

" _Belle, get a towel." Minette ordered._

 _Belle, the blonde who had set up the candles came over with a white towel, which Minette used to whip up the sludge. Seeing the panicked look on Dean's face she said, "It's okay, sweetie. That's just the bad stuff coming out of your brother. He'll be fine."_

 _The infant puked sludge for several minutes, then when he was done Minette had one of her girls fetch a bottle of formula from the mini-fridge. "There you go my brave little boy," She soothed, "This auto gets that nasty taste out of your mouth." Then she placed him back on the bed and motioned to Dean to come join him._

 _She did a quick spell to put them back to sleep and make Dean believe it had all been a dream. Apparently, this one's father had gone native and the last thing they needed right now was a crazy hunter who thought they did something to his kids on their tails. Not with what they were doing._

 _Minette had met Azazel many years before. Almost a century ago. He tricked her, tried to seduce her to use for his own ends, but she found out the truth about him his evil intentions. She barely escaped with her life. She vowed to put a stop to his scheme, unfortunately the only way she had figured out to do that was defusing his bombs after they were made._

 _She and her coven removed any trace of them being there, before letting themselves out, locking the door behind them._

 **Pala Alto, California**

 **26 Years Later**

 _Sam was filling out some paperwork when heard a knock on the door._

 _He looked to see Laurie-Anne, the sectary of one of the partners standing in the doorway nervously._

" _Can I come in?" She asked apprehensively._

" _Sure," Sam replied, wondering what this was all about, "Always."_

 _Laurie-Anne walked in, then peaked out before shutting the door._

" _Laurie," Sam began, alarms blaring now in his head, "What's wrong?"_

" _Okay," She began in a whisper, "You know my friend in legal aid?"_

" _Yeah," Sam began, still afraid of where this might be headed, "Why?"_

" _A case just come into his office and I thought you should know about, because- "She handed him the file in her hand, "Well, look."_

 _A half hour later Sam was at the county prison, trying to get into see a 'client' and hoped they didn't look too deeply into it._

 _Thankfully the didn't. "Winchester?" The guard repeated as he let him, "You two related or something?"_

" _God, I hope not." Sam replied, as he was holding out hope against hope that this somehow wasn't his brother, that there was another Dean Winchester._

 _Then the door to the interview room opened and he could deny it no longer, as there in chains sat his older brother._

" _Sam?" Dean asked in utter surprise._

" _Hey," Sam replied, sitting down, "It's been a while. Can I have a few moments with my client, please?"_

 _The guard nodded and walked out of the room._

" _Dean, what were you doing in town?" Sam asked, "And where's Dad?"_

" _Up on a hunt in Michigan." Dean replied, "While I was dealing with an angry spirit down here."_

" _And he let you do it alone?" Sam balked._

" _Dude, I'm 30." Dean brushed him off._

" _And what about Dad?" Sam questioned, "Should he really be going up against Wendigos at his age?"_

" _Oh, so all of suddenly you care." Dean mocked, "Neither of us have heard from you in eight years."_

" _I tried calling." Sam retorted._

" _Twice." Dean countered, "Twice in eight years."_

 _Realizing that he wasn't careful this was going to turn into a fight, plus Dean kind of had a point, he said, "So, let's talk about these charges, I'm assuming you didn't, actually do it?"_

" _You really have to ask me that?" Dean replied, "You think I could actually kill someone? Someone human anyway?"_

" _Like you said, Dean," Sam said, "Eight years. Though, there's not a lot of evidence here against you, only a shaky description by the neighborhood drug addict, shouldn't be too hard to get thrown out."_

" _Especially for the rising star of his firm." Dean commented._

 _That got Sam's attention. "How do- "_

" _We can talk about that later." Dean said, with no actual intention of sticking around that long, "How soon can you get me out of here?"_

" _Well, there's still the issue of bail." Sam admitted, "The prosecution is going to say you have no ties to the community."_

" _I do have one." Dean countered._

 _And that was what they wound up arguing at arrangement, which, surprisingly enough, the judge bought. Which is how Sam wound up bringing Dean home with him._

" _So, does Jess actually know about what you use to do?" Dean asked._

" _No, and we're keeping that way." Sam replied, "Or else."_

" _Or else what?" Dean countered._

" _Or else we'll see how much I still remember." Sam responded before opening the door, "Jess, honey, we're here? You back from work, yet?"_

" _Coming." A women's voice came from elsewhere in the house. Within seconds a slight blonde appeared in the entryway. "You must be Dean." She said, addressing the stranger in the doorway._

" _And you must be the woman Sam hypnotized into marriage." Dean replied, "Wow, you are even more beautiful up close."_

" _Up close?" Jessica asked, confused._

" _I'll explain later." Dean promised._

 _Later that night Sam set Dean up on the couch. "Sorry we don't have anything else to put you." Sam said, smoothing out an extra blanket._

" _It's okay." Dean insisted, pulling the blanket back, "I've slept through worst."_

 _Sam sit down on the chair across from him. "Now," He began, "Are we gonna talk about what you meant when you said Jess was more beautiful up close?_

" _Oh." Dean said, sitting on the couch, "I hoped you forgot about that."_

" _Well, I didn't." Sam replied, then asked something Dean wasn't expecting, "That was you in the shop that night, wasn't it?"_

 _After Sam didn't get a response when he called to tell John and Dean he was getting married, he and Jessica decided to elope. Afterwards on a whim they had stop a doughnut shop for the 'reception'. That was when, for a moment, he could have sworn he saw Dean walk out of the bathroom._

" _Yeah." Dean confessed, "Did you really think I was going to let my little brother get married and not be there?"_

" _Why- "Sam began, "Why did you hide?"_

" _It was you guys' big day." Dean reasoned, "I didn't wanna make a scene."_

" _You wouldn't have." Sam replied, "Believe it or not I've-I've actually missed you."_

 _They were silent for a moment then Dean said, "Sam?"_

" _Yea?" Sam responded._

" _No chick flick moment." Dean requested._

 **Pala Alto**

 **A Week Later**

 _The pair stood anxiously as they waited for the judge to read his decision on Sam's motion to dismiss based on lack of evidence. Sam was feeling pretty confident, but there was always that chance, and his brother's life was in the balance._

" _I find with the defense." The Judge finished, "Case is dismissed."_

 _They both let out sighs of relief they didn't know they holding._

" _So," Sam said, as they walked out of the courtroom, "What are you going to do now?"_

" _Head out," Dean answered, "Find a case. Maybe figure out why Dad stopped answering my calls."_

 _Sam felt a sadness fall over him. He had actually enjoyed having his brother back in his life, and was going to miss once he left. Then he had an idea of how to at least stall him. "Hey, before that, you want to go for lunch?" He offered, "I don't have anything until one thirty."_

" _You not what?" Dean replied, "What the Hell?" He didn't want it to end either._

 _And from that day forward, while Dean did eventually go back on the road, they always kept in contact._

 **Pala Alto**

 **Present Day**

"Well, I'm pretty sure he's not going to kill them." Dean whispered from the bathroom, "So can we go now?"

They finished the spell they had started then Dean read, "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills…"


	108. To What?

**An: Special Thanks to Dulharpa for this request.**

When they came to this time they found themselves staring at lines of old tombstones.

"Well, this isn't ominous at all." Dean snarked.

"Excuse me!" A voice that sounded like Dean called out.

They turned around to see a rather angry looking Sam and Dean glaring at them.

"Okay," Sam spoke up, "Let's all just keep clam. There is a reasonable explanation for this. Well, not exactly reasonable, but in regards to what we usually deal with- "

"Oh, I already know what this is." The Dean from that universe cut him off, his eyes going over to the Sam of that universe with an angry look.

"You really think this was me?" Sam protested.

"This is just the kind of thing you'd do." Dean seethed.

"We don't even know what _this_ is, Michael!" Sam pointed out. If he was Sam.

"Wait a second." Dean spoke up, "Why did you just call him Michael?"

"Because that's his name." Sam, or whoever he was, replied, sounding a bit confused as to why that would even be a question.

"And let me guess." Sam responded, "You're Lucifer."

"Yes." Lucifer responded, with the same confusion.

Dean chuckled bitterly, shaking his head. "Unbelievable." He said, "I can't believe we actually both said yes."

The Archangels exchanged confused looks before Michael asked, "Say yes to what?"


	109. A Cosmic Tagedy

"What do you mean say yes to what?" Dean responded, "Say yes, to you two possessing us."

"What?" Lucifer responded, "Why would we need to possess anyone?"

"Because angels need to possess people for a corporal form and/or not to burn the eyes out of everyone around them?" Sam tried, confused as well.

The Archangels exchanged looks again and then burst out laughing. "Angels possessing people!" Michael scoffed, "Good one!"

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Lucifer got out between laughs.

Now it was Sam and Dean's turn to exchanged confused looks.

"I mean, is there any lore on the planet that says anything like that?!" Michael added.

"Ah, no actually." Sam admitted, "But, where we're from this is a very real thing."

And, after the Archangels had calmed down from laughing Sam and Dean explained the witch and their ...complicated relationship with the Heavenly Host.

Michael rubbed his face. "Man," He said, "That universe just sounds horrible. I am so sorry that happened to you. Are you sure you even want to go back?"

"Well, some of the others aren't that nice either." Dean responded, thinking, _though this universe seems pretty tempting._

Lucifer, however, have caught on to another aspect of this story. "Dean," He mused, before looking at Michael, "Isn't that the alias you used with your monkey whore?"

Michael got a blank look on his face, before slowly turning around and violently shoving Lucifer so hard he flew across the cemetery. "Don't you _ever_ talk about her like that!"

Lucifer started to laugh. "First, I'm not fit to say her name, now I can't describe her? At the rate, I won't be able to talk about her at all."

Michael put a hand around Lucifer's neck. "That's the point." He seethed, "After what you did, you have no right to utter a word about her!"

"Whoa, back up a minute." Dean spoke up, reminding them of the humans' presence, "Who is this she, and what did Lucifer do to her?"

Michael got this far-off look in his eye. "Her name was Grace Brody." He declared, "He killed her and our child."

 **Lawrence Kansas**

 **2000**

 _Michael looked around nervously as he entered the dinner. He was starting to think this was a bad idea. Why was he even doing this? Why was he suddenly interested in humanity? He really shouldn't be doing this. Angels were prohibited for coming down here without reason, and what example was he sitting with this walk-about of his?_

 _Suddenly he was broken from his thoughts by a voice saying, "You okay, honey?"_

 _He looked to find a lovely young woman in a dark blue waitress uniform looking at him. She was of slight build, with slightly curly blonde hair and blue eyes, for some reason he thought she was his father's greatest piece of art._

" _You okay?" She repeated, staring at him strangely now._

" _Yes." Michael replied, "You're so beautiful, it's kind of distracting." When he eyes widen in fright he added, "That was inappropriate, wasn't it?"_

" _A little." The girl replied with a laugh._

" _I'm sorry." Michael said, in a bit of a panic, "I didn't mean any harm…"_

" _I know." The girl said, "Can I seat you?"_

" _Sure." Michael said, awkwardly._

 _The young woman lead him down a roll of tables. "I'm Grace by the way." She said, "I'll be your sever this afternoon."_

" _Grace." Michael repeated, "That's a beautiful name."_

" _Is it kind of distracting?" Grace quipped._

" _No." Michael replied awkwardly, "It's just beautiful."_

" _What about you?" Grace asked, "You got a name?"_

" _Dean." Michael responded. He wasn't sure why he had used a fake, or where Dean, of all names have come from._

" _Nice to meet you, Dean." Grace replied stopping at a small table at the end of her section._

 _Michael stared at it, wondering what she wanted him to do._

" _It's okay." Grace urged, "Sit down."_

 _Embarrassed, Michael did so._

" _I'll give you a minute to look the menu over." Grace said, before walking away to tend to one of her other customers._

 _After that, Michael came back to the dinner every day, at least once a day, always in Grace's section. He watched her work, watched her interact with her co-workers, who were more than a little weary of her new admirer, but she brushed them off, saying he was harmless and actually good company. He talked to her. He had found that she was a free-spirited, kind young woman who it was impossible not to like. He learned that she was going to classes to become a cook, and had a job at the dinner already lined up after her graduation. He had come to think of her as a friend, and she felt the same about the strange young man who spent a good portion of the day in her section._

 _Maybe that was why, one day as she was about to leave, she looked back and said, "Hey, Dean?"_

 _Michael looked out at the sound of her voice, "Yes?"_

" _I'm about to leave for the day." Grace said, putting her pale pink coat, " And I got a couple of hours to kill before class. You wanna go somewhere with me?"_

 _Michael stood up and was halfway to her, asking, "Where?"_

" _Don't know yet." Grace admitted._

" _Of course, I'll go with you." Michael said, finishing the journey to her. He would go anywhere with her._

 _Anywhere that day turned out be down a street of stores, window shopping she called it. In spite of himself he found himself asking question about almost every place they saw._

" _What's this?" Michael asked pointing at a store with an array of eclectic items in the window._

" _I think it's an antique store." Grace replied, peering in, "That's like a store where they sell old- "_

" _I know what antiques are." Michael cut her off._

" _Sorry." Grace said, "I never know with you." Then Grace got an idea. "Hey, you wanna go in for a couple minutes?"_

" _Sure." Michael replied._

" _You know, you're very accommodating." Grace smiled, taking him by and leading him into the store._

 _There store had a cluttered, welcome attoampere, the shelves fill with an array of books, knick-knacks and jewelry._

 _Michael was looking at slotted plastic rabbit covered in brown felt that someone had glued antlers on top of when Grace said, "Hey, Dean."_

 _He turned around to see Grace wearing a floppy purple hat with a black band around it, "How do I look?"_

" _Beautiful." Michael answered, walking up to her and adjusting the hat, "Now you're perfect."_

 _She turned to look back in the mirror when she noticed something else. "Oh." She said, picking up a red diamond ring framed in mixture of gold and black alloy, etched into angel's wings around it. She slipped it on her ring finger. "What do you know?" She said, "A perfect fit."_

 _Michael took the hand the ring was on, "May I?"_

" _Sure." Grace said, wondering where he was going with this._

 _He put the ring on each for her fingers, seeing how they fit, causing Grace to laugh. At last her put it on her left ring finger._

" _Are you proposing to me?" Grace asked, giving him a playful smile._

" _Hun?" Michael asked, confused._

" _Dean, this is the finger you put a wedding ring on." Grace informed him._

 _Michael's eyes widened. "I'm sorry," He said quickly, removing the ring, "I didn't mean- "_

" _It's okay." Grace said, putting it down. Then she got a look at her watch and her eyes widened. "We gotta get going. I got class in a little bit."_

" _Can I walk you there?" Michael offered, "Just to make sure you get there safely?"_

" _Sure." Grace replied, "I think I'd like that."_

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **Four Months Later**

 _Michael and Grace were walking through the park, hand in hand, when they came to a bench. "Hey," He said, "You want to sit down for a moment?"_

" _Sure." Grace responded to her boyfriend's question._

 _According to Grace that's what he was. He was her boyfriend and she was his girlfriend. They had been courting for months, spending every minute Grace wasn't at work or school and Michael wasn't at work together._

 _And now he wanted to be something more to her._

 _He wasn't sure how his Father would feel about this. In fact, he hadn't been back to Heaven since he met Grace (hence the job.) But once, just this once, he would rather beg forgiveness then ask permission. Besides, how could binding himself to someone so good, so pure, be wrong?_

 _He slowly pulled out the ring, red-diamond one farmed with the wings. He was surprised to find it was still there, but it was perfect for her. "Close your eyes." He ordered gently._

 _Grace slowly shut them._

 _He took the ring and slowly slipped it onto her left ring finger. "Now open them."_

 _She opened her eyes at her eyes, looking down at the weight on her finger. "Oh." She gapped, then after a minute realized, "Isn't this…"_

" _I was surprised they even still have it." Michael admitted, "But it was the perfect ring for you. Remember what you told me the last time I put that on your finger?"_

" _I asked if you were proposing to me." Grace remembered, "And you didn't understand why."_

" _Well, I do now." Michael replied, "And I am."_

" _Are what?" Grace asked, before catching on, "Oh!"_

 _Michael looked at her, waiting expectedly, praying she said yes._

" _Yes!" Grace beamed, throwing her arms around his neck, "Yes, a thousand times yes!"_

 **Lawrence Kansas**

 **A Year and A Half Later**

 _Grace walked to the door to find Michael waiting for her. "Walk you home?" He offered._

 _Grace took his hand and the pair walked out._

" _You know, you don't have to do this." Grace told them as they walked._

" _Do what?" Michael asked._

" _Walk me home every time you're off." Grace responded._

" _But I want to." Michael replied, "I like to know you're safe."_

" _Dean, I can take care of myself." Grace countered._

" _I know," Michael replied, "But you shouldn't have to. You're- "_

" _Dean, did you hear that?" Grace cut him off urgently._

 _The couple was quiet for a moment and Michael could hear some sort of crying. "What is that?"_

 _Looking at a trach can Grace said, "I think it's coming from there." She ripped off the top of the trash can and screamed, "Oh, my God!"  
Michael knew this had to serious for her to take his Father's name in vain, he didn't think she had ever done it before. He hurried over to her and immediately realized why she had done it this time._

 _In the trash can, wrapped in paper towels or all things, was squalling new born._

" _We have to get her to a hospital." Grace declared, removing her sky-colored coat and picking up the child, wrapping her in it._

" _Come on." Michael responded, making sure both woman and infant were protected as they ran._

 _By some miracle, the little girl was perfectly healthy, but they were keeping her under lights to warm her up. Grace and Michael were allowed to stay with her while they waited for police to arrive to take their statements._

" _We don't really know anyone in the area." Grace told them once they arrived, "I just work at a dinner in the area."_

" _And you, Mr.…Winchester?" The officer asked._

 _He had got the last name off an empty box of bullets. He was starting to wonder if that was a good idea. "We're married." He explained, "I was just walking her home."_

 _The officers gave the couple odd looks._

" _We haven't been married that long." Grace said, "Anyway, that's when we heard the baby crying. Seriously, who does that?"_

" _You probably saved her life." One of the officers said, "Scratch that, you did save her life."_

" _What will happen to her now?" Michael spoke up, "The baby, I mean?"_

" _After she's cleared by the doctors, she'll be placed in foster care." The other officer answered sadly._

 _Grace looked back at the baby. Then she walked over to the plastic box they hand put her in, and stuck her finger in, which the infant wrapped her little fist around. "I'm so sorry, Heaven." She whispered._

" _Why'd you call her that?" Michael asked her, on the way home._

" _Why'd I call who what?" Grace asked, melancholy._

" _The baby, you called her Heaven." Michael elaborated._

" _Because that's what I would've called her." Grace replied, "If she was mine. And I also wouldn't have done it. Who would do that? I mean, a firehouse would've take her. There's one right over there. "She pointed it out, "She didn't have to leave her to die."_

" _I know." Michael saved, a wave of sorrow washing over him._

 _They were silent until they arrived at their apartment. Then, as she opened the door, Michael asked, "Grace?"_

" _Yeah." She said, walking in and collapsing on their faded, daisy-print couch. There was no need to hang her coat, the police had taken it as part of the investigation._

" _If you could've had Heaven," Michael began, sitting down next to her on the couch, "If they said you could take her home when she was ready, would you have?"_

" _I don't…know." Grace admitted, "I mean, I want kids, one day. Don't you?"_

 _Michael's heart jumped into his throat. He had done a lot of things he wouldn't normally do, but he could not, NOT give her a child. It was too dangerous. It could, and most likely would, destroy the world. But Grace was staring at him now, and he knew that if he said no it would break her heart. Oh, how, how had they not talked about this before?_

" _Yes." He lied, finally._

" _Well, that took a long time." Grace responded, concerned._

" _It's just…" Michael began, thinking of a way to do this, "What if I can't do it? You know, actually give you a child?"_

" _As in, get me pregnant?" Grace asked._

 _Michael nodded. "I mean, I can't think of any reason why I couldn't, but, what if?"_

 _Grace gently put a hand on his. "There are other options." She assured him, "We could adopt."_

" _Yeah." Michael replied, the idea just dawning on him, "We could, that could work."_

" _But later." Grace said, "I don't think we're ready in the moment."_

 _However, as the week went on, both couldn't stop thinking about children. About them having children. It wasn't the worst time for them to have them. They had decent apartment that had room, Grace was out of school and working now as a cook in the dinner. They basically had it all together. And both of them at different times had stopped by the hospital to check on the baby they were now both calling Heaven._

" _Grace," Michael began on night, sitting on the couch with her in the crock of his arm, "What if I could get her for you?"_

" _Hun?" Grace responded, confused by his out-of-the-blue question._

" _Heaven," Michael elaborated, "What if I could get her for you, for us in a few days, all ours, would you want me to?"_

" _Dean, I don't think that's how it works." Grace informed him good-naturedly._

" _I might have some connections." Michael replied, "Connections I never told you about."_

 _Grace mauled over this for a moment. She was used to her love being mysterious about his past, but this, this was something different. "Dean," She began, straightening up, "Are you in the mob?"_

" _What?" Michael reacted, "No! Why would you-why would you think that?"_

" _Because you have connections that can somehow circumvent Child Services." Grace explained._

" _You know what?" Michael began sarcastically, "You got me. I'm a mob boss. I'm the head of the Kansas mafia and you, you my dear are my mafia princess."_

" _Dean, I'm serious." Grace replied._

" _I'm sorry," Michael replied, "I know you put up with a lot from me."_

" _Baby, it's okay." Grace told him, "I mean, sure, I don't know a lot about your past, but I know who you are now. And who you are now is sweet, caring, slightly odd guy, who I wouldn't trade for the world."_

" _Does that mean you don't think I'm in the mob anymore?" Michael asked._

" _Yeah." Grace relented, "But, are you ready?"_

" _Ready for what?" Michael asked._

" _To be a dad?" Grace elaborated._

" _Yes." Michael said soberly, "Yes, I am." After a moment he added, "Are you ready to be a mom?"_

" _Just give us a few days." Grace requested, "We're going to need a few things like, cribs and diapers and formula."_

 _The next days were a whirlwind of purchases, and childproofing and parenting books. Everything they needed for a baby. On the day before they brought Heaven home, Grace walked into the nursery to put a few things up and found her husband on a ladder, painting the ceiling. "Did you get the landlord's permission to do that?" Was the first thing she asked._

" _Of course." Michael replied._

 _Grace looked up to see what exactly he was painting, and gapped, "Oh, my."_

 _One the ceiling was clear blue sky decorated with clouds._

" _Dean…that's beautiful." She managed to say, "Where did you learn to paint like that?"_

" _Let's just say I learnt from some of the best." Michael responded._

 _The next day they walked up to their apparent Heaven wrapped in a little pink blanket. Stopping at the front door Grace said, "Can we stay out here for a moment? I want to do something."_

" _Sure." Michael agreed._

 _Grace stepped back, raising her arms, still carefully holding Heaven. "I present this child, to God Almighty and the world at large. This child, Heaven Elizabeth Winchester, is now a part of you, a part of us, the best part. She is going to grow up with the best dad, and pretty good mom, and when she does grow up, she is going to be amazing."_

 _She turned around and Michael opened the door for her and they walked in._

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **Two Years Later**

 _Michael was lying next to Grace in bed, pretending to sleep when he heard it. A high-pitched compelling sound he hadn't heard since he came to earth._

 _He was being summoned._

 _It sounded like it was important. Had something happened? Had they found out about him and Grace? Whatever the case, there was no ignoring it. He got out of the bed carefully, as not to wake his sleeping wife, and took off._

 _When landed in the park where the summons told him to go. He turned around to see a nervous-looking angel standing across from him._

" _What is it?" Michael said urgently, "What's happened?"_

" _Lucifer's out." The angel replied._

 _Meanwhile back at the apartment, Grace was woken up by sounds from Heaven's room. Realizing she was alone, she thought her husband had gone to deal with it, but decided to get up to check anyway._

 _She got and saw a figure standing over Heaven's bed. "Dean?" She began, "Is everything okay?"_

 _The figure turned around, revealing the face of a man she didn't recognize. "Dean, "The man repeated, a sinister smile on his face, "Is that what my brother's calling himself now?"_

 _The angel was half-way through an explanation of how Lucifer had escaped from Hell, when he felt it. Grace, was calling to him. Something had happened. She was scared, in pain._

" _I need to go." Michael said urgently taking off._

 _He landed back in the apartment and looked around, that's when he saw her, laid out in the hallway, not moving._

" _Grace!" He screamed, running over to her. He picked her up in his arms. Someone had stabbed her in the chest._

" _Dean…" Grace moaned weakly._

" _Who did this to you?" Michael demanded, healing the wound, but for some reason it wouldn't heal. Why wouldn't it heal?_

" _He said he was your brother…" Grace got out, "Said he needed to send you a message…to remind you who you are…" Her voice trailed off and she closed her eyes, drawing her final breath._

 _Michael put a set of fingers on her forehead, but nothing was happening. Why was nothing happening?_

 _Michael pulled down her nightgown and he saw it. A rare, obscure warding that prevented the victim from being healed. The affect went away after the craving healed on its own, but there was no chance of the happening in this case._

 _Michael let out a cry of deep, aching despair, pulling her to his chest. He cried for several minutes before he realized he was the only one crying._

" _No." He gasped, getting up and running to the bed, when Heaven was silently laying, not breathing._

 _Michael picked her up and quickly checked her body for warding. Apparently, Lucifer-and there was no doubt in his mind that it was Lucifer that did this-had been less through with the little one._

 _He put his fingers to her head within seconds Heaven opened her eyes, wailing. Michael quickly took her to his chest whispering, "It's alright, sweetheart. He's going to pay for this."_

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **Present Day**

"I never knew you brought the runt back." Lucifer said.

 _Really?_ Dean thought, _that was what he took from that?_

Michael was so angry, so grief-stricken once more after having to drug it all up again, he left at Lucifer, forcing him to the ground and putting his hands around his neck.

Realizing the battle of Armageddon was probably going to go down right then and there, Sam and Dean put the potion together in record time, Dean speed-reading, "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind started blowing, momentarily causing the two Archangels to stop, and Sam and Dean were engluffed in a bright light before the worst could happen.


	110. Berries

**AN: Special thanks to Renee Fury for this request.**

 **Unless I get some more request, this will be the second to last AU. (I say second to last because I've had the final one written for I can't remember how long, but kept pushing back when the request started coming in.) So, speak now, or forever hold your peace!**

When their vision cleared they found themselves engulfed in darkness. After a moment of their eyes adjusting, they realized they were surrounded by trees.

Then they heard cannon go off.

"What the Hell?" Dean wondered aloud, looking around. Cannons were a new one.

Suddenly they heard an urgent voice saying, "Climb. He'll be here in a second. We'll stand a better chance fighting him from above."

In spite of themselves, they went in the direction of the voice to see what they were talking about, and if they needed any help. They peaked through the trees and saw two people, a teenage boy with dark hair and teenage girl with long tawny hair pulled back in a braid.

The girl stopped stopped him, oddly calm. "No, Cas, she's your kill, not Cato's."

"What?" Castiel responded, "I haven't even seen her since the first day. How could I have killed her?"

In answer, she held out a handful of ebony-black berries.

"Okay, I'm confused." Dean whispered, "How did Cas kill someone with berries?"

"Poisoned, I guess." Sam speculated.

Suddenly, the girl's eyes narrowed, and she picked up the bow at her side, taking from an arrow from the quiver and aiming it that tree. "Come out." She ordered, " _Now._ "

Seeing no other options, the boys stepped forward and the girl lowered her arrow a perturbed, confused look on her face. "Who the Hell are you?" She demanded, "And how the Hell did you get here?"


	111. The Hunter Games: The Tributes

"Look, I know this weird, but we can explain." Sam began, his hands in the air.

"Dude, I think we can put our hands down." Dean whispered to him as he lowered his own hands.

"I wouldn't just yet." The girl said, aiming the bow at them again.

Dean quickly raised his hands again.

"Now what are you?" The girl demanded, "Some of kind of plant?"

"I don't think they've ever done that before." Cas spoke up, "Plants, I mean. What are we even supposed to do with a plant? And they're too old for the games."

The girl looked at Dean like she thought he was an idiot. "The Hunger Games? You know, the ones you're in the middle of right now for some reason?"

 **District 12, Panem**

 **2099**

 _Deanna Winchester and her best friend and cousin Gale were heading home from a morning of haunting and trading, tensely dividing their spoils, leaving two fish, a couple of loaves of good bread, greens a quart of strawberries, salt, paraffin, and bit of money for each of them._

 _Why were they so tense? Simple. It was Reaping Day._

 _Roughly 74 years prior the then 13 District of Panem had rebelled against the Capitol, the city that held the land under its thumb. However, the rebellion was squashed, District 13 completely destroyed, and the remaining 12 first to partake in an annual event known as the Hunger Games, a blood sport where 24 children, one boy and one girl from each district, were forced into a gladiatorial arena. Twenty-three died. One won, getting a life of fame and fortune._

 _"_ _See you in the square." Deanna said before they parted._

 _"_ _Wear something pretty." He replied flatly._

 _At home, Deanna found her mother and sister ready to go. Her mother was wearing a fine dress from her apothecary days, back before she married Deanna and Samantha's late father and her status took a terminal dip._

 _Sam was in her first reaping outfit, a ruffled blouse and skirt that was bit too big the blouse refusing to stay tucked in even with the help of pins._

 _Their mother had prepared a warm tub of water for Deanna. The huntress scrubbed off the dirt and sweat from the woods, even washing her hair._

 _She got out, she found a soft blue, high-colored dress waiting for her with matching shoes. A dress that belonged to her mother._

 _"_ _Are you sure?" Were the first words out of Deanna's mouth._

 _After the death of their father, the girl's mother had gone in state of near catatonia, leaving Deanna to struggle to keep their family alive and together. Even when she finally came back, Deanna was so angry with her she refused to let the woman do anything for her, something she was trying to get past now. And this was special. Deanna knew the clothes from her past were very precious to her._

 _"_ _Of course." Her mother replied, "Let's put your hair up, too."_

 _Deanna let her mother towel-dry her hair and braid it up in bun in her head. She looked in the cracked mirror that leaned up against the wall, barely recognizing herself._

 _"_ _You look beautiful." Sam gasped in a hushed voice._

 _"_ _And nothing like myself." Deanna brushed off the compliment. She hugged Sam, because she knew the next few hours would be torture for her. This is her first reaping, and while the girl was about as it could get, only entered once at age twelve, but she was worried for Deanna, who between the entry number going up every year, and the program that gave poor families extra grain and oil for a child's extra entries, was in there twenty times._

 _Deanna had always protected Sam in every way she could, even before their father's death, but she was powerless against the Reaping. She was doing her best not to let the anguish she felt inside show on her face, then she noticed her blouse had pulled out of her skirt in the back and she forced herself to stay calm, smoothing blouse back in place ad she said, "Tuck your tail in, little duck."_

 _Sam giggled a little and gave her older sister a small, "Quack."_

 _"_ _Quack yourself." Deanna responded with a light laugh. The kind only Sam could out of her. "Come on," She said, rubbing a hand through Sam's hair, "Let's eat." Deanna already had the fish and green cooking in stew for supper. They decide to leave the bakery bread and strawberries for the evening meal as well, to make it special, instead opting to eat the rough bread from the grain given for the extra entries, and drink milk from Sam's goat, though neither of them has much appetite._

 _As they ate, Deanna remembered something she got from the black market. "Hey, I got something for you." She pulled out a gold pin with a bird on it, a mockingjay. "Take it." She said, handing it to Sam, "For luck."_

 _"_ _Thank you." Sam responded, pinning it to her blouse._

 _At one o'clock the Winchester women headed for the square. After signing in, the twelve-through-eighteen years old were herded into roped areas marked off by age, the oldest, like her friend Gale who was two years older than her, in the front, the youngest, like Sam in the back. Family members lined up around the perimeter holding one another's hand._

 _Everyone's focus was on the temporary stage that had been built before the Justice Building, holding three chairs, a podium, and two large glass balls, one for the boys and one for the girls. Two of the three chairs contained the mayor and Billie Trinket, the escort for District 12, fresh from the Capitol with her prim face, pulled back curly hair and spring queen suit, murmuring about the empty seat. Even with the owner of the third seat absent, as the clock strikes two, the mayor stands up and begins his speech. It's the same story as every year, Panem rose from the ashes of North America, the Dark Days, the Treaty of Treason, and finally, the Hunger Games._

 _"_ _It is both a times for repentance and a time for thanks." The Mayor finishing, before reading a list of past District 12 victors. In seventy-four years, they had exactly two. Only one is still alive._

 _Robert Singer, a shorter, middle-aged man, who at the moment chose to appear, hollering something unintelligible as he staggers onto the stage, falling his chair. He was drunk as usual. Very drunk. The crowd greeted him a round of applause, confusing him. He tried to give Billie a big hung, which she barely managed to fend off._

 _The distressed mayor quickly tried to pull attention back to the Reaping by introducing Billie, who sauntered to the podium and gave her signature, "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" Then she went into a sepal about how honored she was to be there, though they all knew it wasn't true._

 _At last it was time for the drawing. "Ladies first." Billie exclaimed jovially, going over to that bowl._

 _The whole square drew a collectively breath and Deanna was willing it not to be her._

 _At last until Billie call_ _led out, loud and clear, "Samantha Winchester."_

 _For a minute, Deanna forgot how to breath. She started to fall but a boy in the sixteen-group caught her. This had to be a mistake. It couldn't be Sam. She was just one slip in thousands! Her chances of being chosen were so remote, practically impossible, that she hadn't even bothered to be worried. Apparently, she should have._

 _Everything felt far away. The she saw Sam, her face colorless, walking in stiff, small steps. As Sam passed her sister, Deanna saw that Sam's shirt had come untucked, forming a ducktail. Just in time, Deanna came back to herself._

 _"Sam!" Deanna screamed out, and her muscles began to move again, "Sammi!" The other kids made a straight path for her to the stage, alrough they were unsure about what the distraught young woman might do. She reached Sam just as she was about to ascend the steps to her death sentence. With one sweep of her arm, Deanna pushed her sister out of the way, shouting, "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"_

 _There's a small uproar from the stage and the people around. District 12 hasn't had a volunteer in decades, so the no one knows the protocol. It was aloud, a boy volunteering in the place of a Reaped boy, a girl volunteering in the place of a Reaped girl. In District where winning is a great honor, it was common place. However, in District 12, the term Tribute is symononous with the word corpse, hence why no one volunteered._

 _"Lovely!" Billie beamed, "Come forward my dear."_

 _Behind her, Sam was screaming hysterically, wrapping her arms around Deanna like a vice. "No, Deanna! No! You can't go!"_

 _"Sam, let go." Deanna ordered harshly because understandably this was upsetting and she didn't want to cry. When they televised the Reaping that night, everyone would note her tears, and that would mark her as an easy target. And she wasn't going to give anyone the satisfaction, "Let go!"_

 _Suddenly Deanna felt Sam pulled from her back and she turned to find Gale holding a thrashing Sam. "Up you go, Dean." He said, in a voice that was fighting to keep carrying the he carried a struggling Sam off towards their mother, as Deanna steeled herself and climbed the steps._

 _"Well, bravo!" Billie gushed, "That's the spirit of the Games! What's your name?"_

 _"Deanna Winchester." She said somberly._

 _"I bet my buttons that was your sister." The escort deduced, "Don't want her to steal all the glory, do we? Come on, everybody! Let's give a big round of applause to our newest tribute!"_

 _And then, a most miraculous thing happened. No one clapped. Maybe they know her from the local black market, or knew her father, knew Sam, who charmed everyone she met. So instead of acknowledging applause, she stood there unmoving while they took part in the boldest form of dissent they could managed. Silence. A silence that poke volumes. A silence that said that they did not agree, not condone. All of this was wrong. Then on, then another, then almost everyone in the crowd touched three middle fingers of their lips and held it out to Deanna. It was an old and rarely used gesture in their district, occasionally seen at funerals. It meant thanks, admiration, goodbye to someone you love._

 _Deanna feared that crying was all but a certainty, but Robert accidently saved her by choosing that time to stagger across the stage to congratulate her. "Look at her. Look at this on!" Robert hollered, throwing an arm around her shoulders, "I like her. Lots of..." He couldn't think of the word for a minute, "Spunk! More than you!" He released her and started for the front of the stage. "More than you!" He shouted pointing directly at the camera._

 _Was he addressing the audience of was he so drunk he was actually taunting the Capitol? They would never know because before he could continue, Robert plummeted off the stage, knocking himself unconscious. As he was whisked off on a stretcher, Billie tried to get the ball rolling again. "What an exciting day! But more excitement to come! It's time to choose out boy tribute!" She crossed over to the ball containing the boys' names, grabbing the first slip her hand landed on. She hurried back to the podium and Deanna didn't even have time to be worried for Gale's safety when called out, "Castiel Novak!"_

 _Deanna recognized the name, though she had never spoke directly with the owner. The odds were not in their favor today._

 _A thin, pale, dark-haired boy walked up to the stage, struggling to remain emotionless, but his dark blue eyes showed the alarm she'd seen so often in prey. He climbed steadily up the stairs to take his place. Trinket asked for volunteers, but of course she was met with silence. The mayor began to read the long, dull Treaty of Treason, as required, but Deanna was not listening to a word of it._

 _Why did it have to be him? Deanna tried to convince herself it didn't matter. She and Castiel weren't friends, or eve neighbors. They didn't speak to each other. Their only real reaction happened years before. He had probably forgotten it. But she hadn't and she knew she never would…_

 **District Twelve**

 **Five Years Earlier**

 _On the day Deanna encountered Castiel Novak, it was raining icy sheets._

 _It was three months after had father had died. In her grief, their mother had locked herself in a dark world of sadness, not responding to anyone, even her pleading youngest child, staying in huddle on the bed, forcing Deanna to become the head the of the family. She bought their food at the market, cooked it, tried to keep herself and Sam looking presentable. His father's sister's family tried to help where they could, but her husband hand been lost two and she had four kids. So, they were basically on their own. If it was known that their mother could no longer take care of them, they would be taken away and placed in the community home, and it was the worst keep secret that the caretakers were abusive. She was not going to let that happen to Sam. So, Deanna did her best to cover their home situation up. But then the small amount of money they had gotten as compensation for their father's death, and they were starving. Deanna was not yet old to trade extra entries for grain and oil, and at the rate things were going it was doubtful they would make it to her 12_ _th_ _birthday._

 _She had been in town, trying to sell some of Sam's old threbare baby clothes in the public market, afraid to go to the black market she had been to with her father on occasion, but there had been no takers. The rain soaked though her father's old hunting jacket, leaving her chilled to the bone. All they had, had to eat in three days were some dried old mint leaves she had found in the back of the cupboard. By the time the market closed, she was shaking so hard that she dropped the bundle of baby clothes into a mud puddle. She didn't pick it up for fear she would kneel over and be unable to regain her feet. Besides, it's not like anyone wanted the clothes anyway._

 _Deanna didn't want to go home. She couldn't go home. Back to her mother with her dead eyes and her little sister with her sunken, hollow cheeks and cracked lips. Back to the room with the smoky fire from the damp branches she changed after the coal ran out. That was how she found herself stumbling along the muddy lane behind the shops that served the wealthiest townspeople._

 _All forms of stealing were forbidden in District 12, as in any society, though unlike most civilized societies it was punishable by death. But it crossed her mind that there might be something in the trash bins, and those were fair game. Perhaps a bone at the butcher's or rotted vegetables at the grocer's, something no one but her family was desperate enough to eat. Unfortunately, those bins had just been emptied._

 _Deanna paused when she got to the baker's the smell of fresh bread so overwhelming she began to feel dizzy. The ovens were in the back, causing a golden glow to spill out the open kitchen door. She stood mesmerized by the heat and scent until the rain and its icy fingers down her back, forcing her back to reality. She lifted the lid to the trash bin, only to find it spotlessly, hopelessly bare._

 _That was when she heard a voice screaming at her. She looked up to see the baker's wife, telling her to move on and did she want her to call the Peacekeepers and she was so sick of those brats from the slums pawning through her trash._

 _She carefully replaced the lid, backing away. She noticed a dark-haired boy peering out from behind the woman's back. She had seen him as school, he was in her year, but she didn't know his name. He hung out with the town kids._

 _The pair went back in, the baker's wife grumbling. At a complete loss, Deanna made her way behind the pen that held their pig and leaned against the far side of an old apple tree. The realization that she had nothing to take home finally sunk in. Her knees buckled and she slid down the three trunks to its roots. It was all too much. She was too sick and weak and tired. Much too tried. Let the woman call the Peacekeepers and get the taken to the community home. Or better yet, just let her die right there in the rain._

 _That was when a clatter came from the bakery and she heard the woman screaming again and the sound of a blow, causing Deanna to vaguely wonder what was going on. Feet sloshed toward her through the mud and she feared it was the woman, come to chase her off with a stick, or something. But it wasn't her. It was the boy. In his arms, he carried two large loaves of bread that must have fallen into the fire because the crusts were scorched black._

 _His mother was yelling at him., "Feed it to the pig, you stupid creature! Why not? No one decent will buy burned bread!"_

 _He began to tear off chunks from the burned parts and tossed them into the trough, until the front bakery bell run and his mother disappeared to help a customer. The boy never glanced her way, but Deanna was watching him because of the bread, and the red welt on his cheekbone. What had she hit him with? Deanna's parents never hit her or her sister. She couldn't even imagine it._

 _The boy looked back to the bakery as if checking that the coast was clear, then, the to the pig, then he threw a loaf of bread in her direction followed quickly by another one. Then he sloshed back to the bakery, closing the kitchen door tightly behind him._

 _She stared at the loaves in disbelief. They were fine, perfect really, except for the burnt parts. Did he mean for her to have them? He must have. Because they were there at her feet. Before anyone could see what happened she shoved the loaves up under her shirt, wrapped the hunting jacket tightly around her, and walked swiftly away. The head of the bread burned into her skin, but she clutched it even tighter, clinging to life._

 _By the time she reached home, the loaves had cooled somewhat, but the insides were still warm. When she dropped them on the tables, Sam's hands reached to tear off a chunk, but she made her sit, then forced her mother to to join them at the table, and poured them all warm tea. She scrapped off the black stuff and sliced the bread. They ate an entire loaf, slice by slice that night. It was good, hearty bread, filled with raisins and nuts._

 _It didn't occur to Deanna until the next morning that the boy might have burned the bread on propose, dropping them into the flames, knowing what the consequences would be, all to deliver them to her. But it must have been an accident. Why would he have done. He didn't even know her. Still, just throwing the bread to her was an enormous kindness that would have surely resulted in a beating if he had been discover. She couldn't explain his actions._

 _They are slices of the remaining load for breakfast and headed to school. Suddenly spring had come over night. Warm sweet air and fluffy clouds. She passed the boy in the hall at school. His cheek had swelled up and his eye had blackened. He was with his friends and didn't acknowledge her in any way. But she found him staring at her across the school yard as she collected Prim and started for home. Deanna dropped her gaze, embarrassed, and that's when she saw it. The first dandelion of the year. It went off in her head like a bell. She thought of the hours she had spent in the woods with her father and she knew how they were going to survive._

 _Deanna plucked it carefully and hurried home. She grabbed a bucket and Sam's hand and headed to the Meadow, and yes, it was filled with danilions. After they had harvested those, they scrounged around inside the fence for probably a mile until they filled the bucket with danilion greens, stems and flowers. That night, the gorged themselves on danilion salad and the rest of the bakery bread._

 **The Capitol, Panem**

 **A Week Later**

 _They had been training for a week, learning how to survive, but Deanna already knew most of it. Then they were judged on their skills by the Gamemakers. In fit of anger at being ignored, Deanna fired an arrow into an apple in a roast pig. They gave her an eleven._

 _Now it was time for the interviews._

 _They had just done districts 1-11, and they were calling Deanna Winchester. She felt herself, as if in a dream, standing and making her way to the stage. She shakes the outstretched hand of the host, Balthazar Flickeman, and he had the grace not immediately wipe his hand off on his suit as they sat down._

 _"So, Deanna, the Capitol must be quite a change from District Twelve. What's impressed you most since you arrived here?" Balthazar asked._

 _What? What did he say? It was as if the words made no sense, and suddenly her mouth was full of sawdust. She desperately looked-for Max, her stylish that she had befriended, in the crowd. She imagined the question coming out of his mouth, racking her brain for something that made her happy here. "The lamb stew." She managed to get out. They had served it at breakfast one day and she loved it._

 _Balthazar laughed and Deanna realized the audience was laughing with him. "The one with the dried palms?" He asked._

 _Deanna nodded._

 _"Oh, I eat it by the bucketful." a Balthazar dded, then he turned sideways to the audience in horror, a hand on his stomach, "It doesn't show, does it?"_

 _The audience shouted reassurances to him and applauded. That was the good thing about Balthazar. He tried to help the Tributes through this part of the process._

 _"Now, Deanna," Balthazar continued confidently, "When you came out in the opening ceremonies, my heart actually stopped. What did you think of the costume?"_

 _Their costumes had looked like they were actually on fire. It was terrifying for them, but it made quiet the impression._

 _Max raised one eyebrow at her. "You mean after I over my fear of being burned alive?" Deanna asked sincerely._

 _There was a big laugh from the audience. A real one._

 _"Yes. Start then." Balthazar said._

 _As her friend, she should tell Max anyway. "I thought was brilliant and it was the most gorgeous costume I'd ever seen and I couldn't believe I was wearing it. I can't believe I'm wearing this, either." She lifted up her jewel-covered skirt to spread it out. "I mean, look at it!"_

 _As the audience oohed and ahed, she saw Max make the tinniest circular motion with his finger. She knew what she was trying to tell her. He was telling her to twirl._

 _She spun in circular motion, causing it to look again as if she was aflame, and she got cheers from the audience._

 _"Oh, do that again!" Balthazar requested, actually awestruck._

 _Deanna lifted her arms and spun around and around, letting skirt fly out. The audience broke out in cheers. When she finally stopped she had to clutch Balthazar's arm for balance._

 _"Don't stop!" He said._

 _"I have to, I'm dizzy!" Deanna giggled, her nerves and the spinning getting to her._

 _Balthazar wrapped a protective arm around her. "Don't worry, I've got you. Can't have you following in your mentor's footsteps."_

 _Everyone was hooting as the cameras found Bobby, who by then was famous for his head dive at the Reaping, and get waved at them good-naturedly and pointed back at her._

 _Ever since he discovered that his Tributes this year might have a chance, he was doing his best to be helpful._

 _"It's all right," Balthazar assured the crowd, "She's safe with me. So, how about the training score? E-le-ven. Give us a gint what happened in there."_

 _Deanna glanced at the Gamemakers on the balcony and bit her lip. "Um…all I can say, is I think it was a first._

 _The cameras turned to the Gamemakers, who were chuckling and nodding in agreement._

 _"You're killing us." Balthazar groaned, as if in actual pain, "Details, details."_

 _Deanna looked to the balcony. "I'm not supposed to talk about it, right?"_

 _One particular Gamemaker that had fallen into the punchbowl after the apple incident, shouted out, "She's not!"_

 _"Thank you." She said, before turning back to Balthazar, "Sorry. My lips are sealed."_

 _"Let's go back then, to the moment they called your sister's name at the Reaping," Balthazar suggested, in quieter mood, "And you volunteered. Can you tell us about her?"_

 _No. She couldn't not to all of them. But maybe Max. "Her name's Samantha." Deanna said finally, "Sam. She's just twelve. And I love her more than anything."_

 _The room became so silent one could hear a pin drop._

 _"What did she say to you? After the Reaping?" Balthazar asked._

 _Deanna swallow hard. "She asked to try really hard to win."_

 _The audience was frozen, hanging on her every word._

 _"And what did you say?" Balthazar prompted gently._

 _Suddenly an icy rigidity took over Deanna's body. Her muscles tense as they do before a kill. When she spoke, her voice dropped an octave. "I swore I would."_

 _"I bet you did." Balthazar replied, giving her a squeeze. Then the buzzer went off. "Sorry, we're out of time. Best of luck, Deanna Winchester, tribute from District Twelve."_

 _The applause continued long after Deanna was seated. She looked to Max for reassurance and he gave her a thumbs-up._

 _Deanna was still in a daze for the first part of Castiel's interview. He had the audience from the get-go; she could them laughing, shouting at. He played up the baker's son thing. Comparing the Tributes from the bread of their districts. Then he had a funny anecdote about the perils of the Capitol showers. "Tell me, do I still smell like roses?" He asked Balthazar, and then there was a whole bit where they took turns sniffing each other that brought down the house. She came back into focus around the time Balthazar asked him if he had a girlfriend back home._

 _Castiel hesitated, giving an unconvincing shake of his head._

 _"Handsome lad like you." Balthazar commented, "There must be some special girl. Come on, what's her name?"_

 _Castiel sighed, giving in. "Well, there is this one girl. I've had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I'm pretty suter she didn't know I was alive until the Reaping."_

 _Sounds of sympathy resonated from the crowd. Unrequited love was something they could relate to._

 _"She has another fellow?" Balthazar asked, as it was a good guess._

 _"I don't know," Castiel admitted, "But a lot of boys like her."_

 _"So, here's what you do." Balthazar advised encouragingly," You win, you go home. She can't turn you down then, eh?"_

 _"I don't think it's going to work out." Castiel confessed, "Winning…won't help in my case."_

 _"Why ever not?" Balthazar asked, mystified._

 _Castiel blushed beet red, feeling sick to his stomach and stammered out. "Because…because…she came here with me."_

 _For a moment, the cameras held on Castiel downcast eyes as what he said sunk in. Then, Deanna could see her face, mouth opened in a mix of surpse and protest as she realized he was talking about her. She pressed her lips together and stared at the floor, hoping this would conceal the emotions starting to boil up inside of her._

 _"Oh, that is a piece of bad luck." Balthazar replied, with a real edge of pain in his voice._

 _The crowd was murmuring in agreement a few even letting out agonized cries._

 _"It's certainly not good." Castiel agreed._

 _Well, I don't think any of us came blame you." Balthazar admitted, "It'd be hard not to fall for that young lady. She didn't know?"_

 _Castiel shook his head. "Not until now."_

 _Deanna allowed hers eyes to flicker up to the screen long enough to see the unmistakable blush on her cheeks. This could not be happening._

 _"Wouldn't you love to pull her back out here and get a response?" Balthazar asked the audience._

 _The crowd screamed in approval of the idea._

 _"Sadly, rules are rules, and Deanna Winchester's time had been spent." Balthazar replied, "Well, best of luck to you, Castiel Novak, and I think I speak for all of Panem when I say our hearts go with yours."_

 _The roar of the crowd was deafening. Castiel had absolutely wiped the rest of them off the map with his declaration if love for Deanna. When the audience finally settled down, he choked out a quiet "Thank you," and returned to his seat._

 _The everyone stood for the anthem, forcing Deanna to raise her head out of the required respect. She could no longer avoid seeing that every screen is now dominated by a shot of herself and Castiel, separated by a few feet that in the viewers' heads could never be breached. Poor tragic them. Too bad Deanna knew better._

 _She avoids Castiel on the silent ride back to the twelve floor. However, he had just arrived at the same time she did, and she slammed her palms into his chest. He lost his balance and crashed into an ugly urn filled with face flowers. The urn tipped and shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces. Castiel landed in the shards, and blood immediately flew from his hands._

 _"What was that for?" He asked aghast._

 _"You had not right!" Deanna screamed, "No right to go saying those things about me!"_

 _Just then Casitel was saved by the arrival of Billie, Bobby, and Max, and Castiel's stylish, Alicia, who also happened to be Max's sister_

 _"What's going on?" Billie asked a note of hysteria in her voice, "Did you fall?"_

 _"After she shoved me." Castiel answered, as Billie and Max helped him up._

 _Bobby turned Deanna. "You shoved him?"_

 _"This was your idea, wasn't it?" Deanna accused, "Turning me into some kind of fool in front of the entire country?"_

 _"It was my idea." Castiel spoke up, wincing as he pulled spikes of pottery from his palms. "Bobby just helped me with it."_

 _"Yes, Bobby is very helpful." Deanna snarked, "To you!"_

 _"You_ are _a fool." Bobby said contemptuously, "Do you think he hurt you? That boy just gave you something could never achieve on your own."_

 _"He made me look weak!" Deanna argued._

 _"He made you look desirable!" Bobby snapped, "And let's face it, you can use all the help you can get in that department. You were about as romantic as dirt until he said he wanted you. Now they all do. You're all they're talking about. The star-crossed lovers from District Twelve!"_

 _"But we're not star-cross lovers!" Deanna protested._

 _Bobby grabbed her shoulders, pinning her against the wall. "Who cares. It's all a big show. It's all how you're perceived. The most I could say about you after your interview was that you were nice enough, although that in itself was a small miracle. Now I can say you're a heartbreaker. Oh, oh, oh, how the boys back home fall longingly at your feet. Which do you think will get you more sponsors?"_

 _Deanna shoved his hands off her shoulders and stepped away, trying to clear her head. Max came over and put his arm around her. "He's right, Deanna."_

 _Deanna didn't know what to think anymore. "I should have been told, so I didn't look so stupid." She insisted._

 _"No, reaction was perfect." Alicia insisted, "If you'd known, it wouldn't gave read as real."_

 _"She's just worried about her boyfriend." Casitel commented gruffly, tossing away a bloody piece of the urn._

 _Deanna felt her cheeks burning. She knew exactly who he was talking about. "He's my cousin."_

 _"Whatever," Castiel responded, "I still bet he's smart enough to know a bluff when he sees it. Besides, you didn't say you loved me. So, what's the matter?"_

 _The words sunk in and Deanna's anger faded. Suddenly she was torn between thinking she had been used and thinking she had been given an edge. Bobby was right. She survived her interview, but what was she really? A silly girl spinning around in a sparkling dress. Giggling. The only moment of any substance she had was when she talked about Sam. Comparing that with some of the others, she was forgettable. Silly, and sparkly and forgettable. No, maybe not entirely forgettable. She did have that eleven in training. But now Castiel had made her an object of love, and not just his. To hear him tell it she had many admirers. And the audience really bought it, they reacted so strongly. Bobby was right, they eat that stuff up in the Capitol. Suddenly she was worried that she hadn't reacted properly._

 _"After he said he loved me, did you think I could be in love with him, too?" Deanna asked, hoping he hadn't messed things up too badly._

 _"I did." Alicia assured her, "The way you avoided looking at the cameras, the blush."_

 _"You're golden, sweetheart." Bobby added, calmed down as well now, "You're going to have sponsors lined up around the block."_

 _The others chimed in, agreeing._

 _Now Deanna was embarrassed by her reaction, and she forced herself to look at Castiel. "I'm sorry I shoved you."_

 _"Doesn't matter." Castiel replied, shrugging, "Although it technically illegal."_

 _"Are your hands okay?" Deanna continued._

 _"They'll be all right." Castiel said._

 _In the awkward silence that followed, delicious smells of their diner wafted from the dining room._

 _"Come on, let's eat." Bobby said, leading them in that direction._

 _They all followed him to the table and took their places. But Castiel was bleeding too heavily and Portia lead him off for medical treatment, so they started the cream and petal soup without him. By the time that was finished they were back, Castiel hands wrapped in bandages. Deanna couldn't help but feel guilty. Tomorrow they would be in the arena. He had done him a favor and she answered him with an energy. Would she never stop owing him?_

 **The Anerna, Panem**

 **The Next Day**

 _Deanna was in the Launch Room with Max, preparing for the games to begin. She had just finished putting on the uniform, which was destined to whatever the arena would be. She thought she was finished when Max pulled out a gold mockingjay pin. It was her token, that she had completely forteen about._

 _"Where did you get that?" Deanna asked._

 _"Off the green outfit you were on the train." Max answered,_

 _Deanna remembered taking it off her other's dress, pinning it to that shirt._

 _"It's your token, right?" Max asked._

 _Deanna nodded and she fastened it to her shirt. "It barely cleared the review board." He told her, some thought the pin could be used as a weapon, giving you an unfair advantage. But eventually, they let it thought. They eliminated a ring from that District One girl, though. If you twisted the gemstone, a spike popped out. Poisoned one. She claimed she had knowledge the ring transformed, and there was no way to prove she did. But she lost her token. There, all set. Move around. Make sure everything feels comfortable."_

 _She walked, ran in a circle, and swung her arms about. "Yes, it's fine. Fits perfectly."_

 _Then there's nothing to do but wait for the call." Max said, "Unless you think you could eat anymore?"_

 _She turned down food but accepted a glass of water that she took tiny sips od as they waited on the couch, nervous for what was to come. Nervousness seeped into terror as she anticipated what was to come. She could be dead, flat-out dead, in an hour. Maybe less. Her fingers obsessively traced the hard-little lump on her forearm where she had been injected with a tracking device. She pressed on it, even though it hurt, she pressed on it so hard a small bruise began to form._

 _"Do you want to talk, Deanna?" Max asked._

 _She shook her head but after a moment held out her hand to him. Max enclosed it in both of his. And this was how they sat until a pleasant female voice anouched it was time to prepare for the launch._

 _Still clinching one of Max's hands, Deanna walked over and stood on a circular metal plate. "Remember what Bobby said." He advised, "Run, fine water. The rest will follow."_

 _Deanna nodded._

 _"And remember this." Max continued, "I'm not allowed to bet, but if I could, my money would be on you."_

 _"Truly?" Deanna whispered._

 _"Truly." Max replied, before leaning down and kissing her forehead. "Good luck, girl on fire."_

 _A glass cylinder lowered around Deanna, breaking their handhold. He tapped his finger under his chin, signaling for her to hold her head high. She lifted her head and stood as straight as she could. The cylinder began to rise and for fifteen seconds she was in darkness, then she could feel a metal plate pushing her out if the cylinder and into open air. For a moment, her eyes were dazzled by the bright sunlight and she's conscious only of a strong wind and the hopeful sent of pine trees._

 _The she heard the legendary announcer, Claudius Temple smith as his voice boomed all around her._

 _"Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games begin!"_


	112. The Hunter Games: The Games

**The Arena, Panem**

 **Four Day Later**

 _So far Deanna's time in the arena had not been easy. She nearly died of dehydration and when she found it she got chased off by a firewall, burning her hands and legs. She found safety in a tree only for it to be surrounded by the career tributes, plus Castiel, who had apparently joined up with them. Then two very odd things happened. First, the youngest tribute, an twelve-year-old girl from district 11, hidden in the bushes, pointed out a way to escape to Deanna. A hive of Tracker Jackers, mutant wasps whose venom killed, and called hallucinations. Deanna cut down the hive, killing at least one of the careers, she thought. That was when the second odd thing happened._

 _In the chaos that followed, Castiel Novak saved her life. Again._

 _However, before she could fully process that, the hallucinations started. All the things she dreaded the most, all the things she dreaded for others manifested in such vided detail that she couldn't help but believe they were real. Just when she thought it was over at last, it wasn't. It was only the beginning of a new chapter of torture. How many times would she have to watch Sam die? Relieve what her father's last moments must have been like? Feel her own body being ripped apart._

 _When she finally came back to her senses, she laid still, waiting for the next onslaught of imagery. Eventually she accepted that the poison must have at last left her body, if leaving it wracked and feeble. She slowly lifted her hand to her eyes and found them untouched by the ants she thought were eating her alive early on. Simply stretching out her lips required enormous effort. So many parts of her hurt that she didn't bother to take inventory of them, very slowly setting up. She was in a shallow whole filled with dead leaves. Her clothing's damp, but she doesn't know whether it was pound water, dew, or sweat. For a long time, all she could do was take sips from her bottle and watch a beetle crawl on a honeysuckle._

 _How long had she been out? It was morning when the hallucinations set in and now it was afternoon, plus the sniftness in her joints suggested that that a day had best, maybe two. If so, she had no way of knowing who survived the Tracker Jacker attack. Well, she knew Glimmer from District 1 and the girl from District 4 didn't make it, but what about the boy from 1, both of the tributes from 2, or Castiel? Did they die from their stings? Certainly, if they did, their last few days were as horrible as her own. And what_ _Claire_ _, the little girl from 11 who had helped her? She was so small, it wouldn't have taken much venom to do her it. But then again, the Tacker Jacker would have to catch her, and she had a good head start._

 _A foul, rotten taste pervades her mouth, and the water has little effect on it. She dragged herself over to the honeysuckle bush and plucked a flower. She gently pulled the stamen through the blossom and see the drop of nectar on her tongue. The sweetness spread through her mouth, down her throat, warming her veins with memories of summer, and her home in the woods and her cusion's presence by her side. Then suddenly, she wasn't thinking of Gale but of Castiel…Castiel! Because by the time they meant up, she couldn't tell what was real and what the Tracker Ja cker venom had caused her to imagine. But if he did, and her instinct told her he did, what for? Was he simply working the Lover Boy angle he initiated in the interview? Or was he actually trying to protect her? And if he was, what was he doing with the Careers in the first place? None of it made sense._

 _She pushed all those thoughts away and tried to focus on the one really good thing that's happened since she landed in this arena. She had bows and arrows! A full dozen of them, if she counted the one she retrieved from a tree it hit. They bore no trace of the green slime she thought had covered Glimmer's body, but they had a fair amount of dried blood on them. She took a minute to fire to a few into a tree for practice. They were morel like the Weapons at the training center than the ones at home, but who cared? That she could work with._

 _The weapons gave her an entirely new perspective on the Games. She knew she had though opponents left to face. However, she was no longer merely prey that ran and hid, or took desperate measures. If Cato broke through the trees right then, she wouldn't have to flee, she could and would shoot. She found herself actually anticipating the moment with pleasure._

 _But first, she had to get some strength back into her body. She was very dehydrated again and her water supply was dangerously low. The little padding, she was able to put on by gorging herself during prep time in the capital was gone, plus several more pounds as well. Her hip and rib bones were more prominent then even during those awful months after her father's death. And of course, she had her wound to contend with-burns, cuts, and bruises from smashing into the trees, and threes Tracker Jacker stings, which were as swollen as ever even if they weren't causing her hallucinations. She applied ointment her sponsors to her burns from the fire and the stings, but it had no effect on them. Deanna's mother knew the treatment for them, some sort of leaf that could draw out the poison, but she seldom had time to use it, and she couldn't even remember the name let alone the appearance._

 _She decided to deal with the water first, and hunt along the way. It was easy to see the direction she came from by the path of destruction her crazed body made through the foliage. So, she walked in the opposite direction, hopping her enemies were still trapped in the surreal world of Tracker Jacker venom._

 _She couldn't move too quickly, her joints rejected any abrught movements. So, she used the slow hunter's tread she used for tracking game. Within a few minutes she spotted a rabbit and made her first kill with the bow and arrow. After an hour, she found a stream, shallow but wide, so while she waited for the iodine tablets she managed to acquire to purify the water she stripped down to her underclothes and wade into the mild current. She was filthy from head to toe. She tried splashing herself but eventually just laid down in the water for a few minutes, letting it wash off the shoot and blood and skin that had started to peel off her burns. Adifter rinsing out her clothes and hanging them on bushes to dry, she sat on the bank in the sun for a bit, untangling her hair with her fingers. Her appetite returned and she are with cracker and a strip of beef. With a handful of moss, she polished the blood from her silver weapons._

 _Refreshed, she treated her burns again, braided back her hair, and dressed in her damp clothes, knowing the sun will dry them soon enough. Following the stream against its current seemed the smartest course of an action. She was traveling uphill now, which she preferred, with a source of fresh water not only for herself but possible gamer. She easily took out a strange bird that must have been some sort of while turkey. Whatever the case, it looked edible to her. By late afternoon, she decided to build a small fire to cook the meat betting the dusk would help conceal the smoke and she could quench the fire by nightfall. She cleaned the game, taking care with the bird, bit there was nothing alarming about it. Once the feathers were plucked, it was no bigger than a chicken, but it was plump and firm. She had just placed the frust lot over the coals when she heard a twig snap._

 _In one motion, Deanna turned to the sound, bringing the bow and arrow to her shoulder. There was no one there. No one she could see anyway. Then she spotted the tip of a child's boot just peeking out from behind the trunk of a tree. Deanna's shoulders relaxed and she grinned. Clare could move through the woods like a shade, Deanna had to give her that. How else could she have followed her. The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them. "You know, they're not the only ones who can formed alliances."_

 _For a moment, there was no response. Then one of_ _Claire_ _'s eyes edged around the trunk. "You want me for an alley?"_

" _Why not?" Deanna responded, "You saved me from those Tackers Jackers. You're smart enough to still be alive. And I can't seem to shake you, anyway."_

 _She blinked at Deanna, trying to decide._

" _You hungry?" Deanna asked and she could see the little girl swallow hard, her eyes flickering to the meat, "Come on, then, I've had two kills today."_

 _Claire_ _tenitively stepped out into the open. "I can fix your stings."_

" _Can you?" Deanna asked, "How?"_

 _She dug into a pack she was carrying and pulled out a handful of leaves. Deanna was almost certain they were the same ones her mother used." "Where's you find those?"_

" _Just around."_ _Claire_ _answered, "We all carry them when we work in the orchards. They left a lot of nests there. There are a lot here, too."_

" _That's right." Deanna recalled, "You're District 11. Agriculture. Orchards, hun? That must be how you can fly around in the trees like you got wings."_

 _Claire_ _smiled and Deanna realized she had landed on one of the few things the little girl would admit pride in._

" _Well, come on, then." Deanna encouraged, "Fix me up."_

 _Deanna plunked down by the fire and rolled up her pants to reveal her knee. To her surprise,_ _Claire_ _a handful of the leaves into her mouth and started to chew them. Deanna's mother would've used different methods, but it wasn't like there any mortars and pestles just lying around. After a minute or so_ _Claire_ _pressed a gloppy green wad of chewed leaves and spit on Deanna's knee._

" _Ohhh." Deanna moaned. It was as if the leaves were actually leaching the pain right out of the sting._

 _Claire_ _gave a giggle. "Lucky you had the sense to pull the stingers out or you'd be a lot worse."_

" _Do my neck!" Deanna almost begged, "Do my cheek!"  
_ _Claire_ _stuffed another handful of leaves into her mouth, and soon Deanna was laughing because the relief was so sweet. Then she noticed a long burn on_ _Claire_ _'s forearm._

" _I've got something for that." Deanna offered before setting her weapons aside and anointing Clare's arm with the burn medicine._

" _You have good sponsors." The little girl said longingly._

" _You haven't gotten any yet?" Deanna asked._

 _Claire_ _shook her head in response._

" _You will, thought." Deanna assured her, "Watch. The closer we get to the end; the more people will realize how clever you are." Deanna turned the meat over._

" _You weren't joking, about wanting me for an alley?" She asked._

" _No, I meant it." Deanna insisted. She could almost hear Bobby groaning as she teamed up with this wispy child. But Deanna wanted her. She was survivor, Deanna trusted her, and why no admit it? She reminded Deanna of Sam._

" _Okay."_ _Claire_ _agreed, holding out her hand. They shook. "It's a deal."_

 _Of course, this kind of deal could only be temporary, but neither of them mentioned that._

 _Claire_ _contributed a big handful of some sort of starchy root to the meal. Roasted over the fire, they had the sharp sweet taste of parsnip. She recognized the bird, too, some wild thing they called a groosling in her district. She said sometimes a flock would wonder into the orchard and they got a decent launch that day. For a while, all the conversation stopped as they filled their stomachs. The groosling had diclinous meat that was so fatty, the grease dripped down their faces when they bit into it._

" _Oh,"_ _Claire_ _said with a sigh, "I've never had a whole leg to myself before."_

 _Deanna bet she hadn't. She'd bet meat hardly ever came her way. "Take the other."_

" _Really?"_ _Claire_ _asked._

" _Take whatever you want." Deanna offered, "Now that I got a bow and arrows, I can get more. Plus, I've got snares. I'll show you how to set them up."_

 _Claire_ _still looked uncertainly at the leg._

" _Oh, take it." Deanna insisted, putting the drumstick in the other girl's hands," It'll only keep a few days A anyway, and we got the whole bird pulse the rabbit."_

 _Once she had a hold of it, her appetite won out and she took a mouthful._

" _I'd have thought, in District Eleven, you'd have a bit more to eat then us." Deanna said, "You know, since you grow the food."_

 _Claire_ _'s eyes widened. "Oh no, we're not allowed to eat the crops."_

" _They arrest you, or something?" Deanna asked._

" _They whip you and make everyone else watch."_ _Claire_ _answered, "The mayor's very strict about it."_

 _Deanna could tell by her expression that this wasn't an uncommon occurrence. A public whipping was a rare thing in District 12, thought it did occasionally occur. Technically, Gale and her could be whipped on a daily basis for poaching in the woods-well, technically they could get a whole lot worse-except all the officials bought their meat. Besides, their mayors didn't seem to have much taste for such events. Maybe being the least prestigious, poorest, most ridiculed district in the country had its advantages. Such as, being largely ignore by Capitol as long as they made their coal quotas._

" _Do you get all the coal you want?"_ _Claire_ _asked._

" _No." Deanna answered, "Just what we buy and whatever we track in on our boots."_

" _They feed us a bit extra during the harvest, so that people can keep going longer."_ _Claire_ _added._

" _Don't you have to be in school?" Deanna responded._

" _Not during the harvest."_ _Claire_ _explained, "Everyone works then."_

 _It was interesting, hearing about her life. They had so little communication with anyone outside their district. In fact, Deanna wondered if the Gamemakers were blocking out their conversation, because even though the information seemed harmless, they didn't want people in the district to know about one another._

 _At_ _Claire_ _'s suggestion, they laid out all their food to plan ahead. She had seen most of Deanna's, but she added the last couple of crackers and beef strips to the pile. She had gathered quite the collection of roots, nuts, greens, and even some berries._

 _Deanna rolled an unfamiliar berry between her fingers. "You sure this is safe?"_

" _Oh, yes, we have them back home. I've been eating them for days."_ _Claire_ _assured her, popping a handful in her mouth._

 _Deanna tentively bit into one, and it was good as the blackberries of District 12. Taking_ _Claire_ _as an ally seemed a better choice all the time._

 _They divided up the supplies, so in case they got separated, they were each set for a few days. Apart from food,_ _Claire_ _had a small water skin, a homemade slingshot, and an extra pair of socks. She also had a sharp shard of rock she was using as knife. "I know it's not much." She admitted, as if embarrassed, "But I had to get away from the Cornucopia fast."_

" _You did just right." Deanna assured her._

 _When Deanna spread out her own gear,_ _Claire_ _gasped a little when she saw a pair of sunglasses, also from the Cornucopia, "Where did you get those?_

" _In my pack. They've been useless so far. They don't block the sun and they make it harder to see." Deanna explained with a shrug._

 _These aren't for sun, they're for darkness." Exclaimed_ _Claire_ _, "Sometimes, when we harvest through the night, they'll pass out a few pairs of those to us highest in the trees. Where the torchlight doesn't reach. One time, this boy Martin, he tried to keep his pair. Hid it in his pants. They killed him on the spot."_

" _They killed a boy for taking these?" Deanna asked._

" _Yes, and everyone know he was no danger."_ _Claire_ _continued, "Martin wasn't right in the head. I mean, he still acted like a three-year-old. He just wanted the glasses to play with."_

 _Hearing this made District 12 seem like some sort of safe haven. Of course, people keeled over from starvation all the time, but she couldn't imagine the Peacekeepers murdering a simpleminded child._

" _So, what do these do?" Deanna asked, taking the glasses._

" _They let you see in complete darkness."_ _Claire_ _explained, "Try them tonight when the sun goes down."_

 _Deanna gave_ _Claire_ _and some matches and she made sure Deanna had plenty of leaves in case her stings flared up. They extinguished their fire and headed up stream until almost night fall._

" _Where do you sleep?" Deanna asked, "In the trees?"_

 _Claire_ _nodded._

" _In just your jacket?" Deanna continued._

 _Claire_ _held up her extra pair of socks. "I have these for my hands."_

 _Deanna thought about how could the nights had been. "You can share my sleeping bag if you want." Deanna offered, "We'll both easily fit."_

 _Claire_ _'s face lit up. Deanna could tell this was more than she dreamed to hope for._

 _They picked a high tree and settled in for the night just as the anthem began to play. There were no deaths that day._

" _Claire,_ _I only just woke up today." Deanna explained, "How many nights did I miss?" The anthem should have blocked out her words, but she still whispered. She even took the precaution of covering her lips with her hands, because she didn't want the audience to know what she was going to tell her about Castiel. Taking a clue from her,_ _Claire_ _did the same._

" _Two."_ _Claire_ _answered, "The girls from Districts 1 and 4 are dead. There's ten of us left."_

" _Something strange happened." Deanna continued, "At least, I think it did. It might have been the Tracker Jacker venom making me imagine things. You know the boy from my district? Castiel? I think he saved my life. But he was with the Careers."_

" _He's not with them now."_ _Claire_ _informed her, "I've spied on their base camp by the lake. They made it back before they collapsed from the stingers. But he's not there. Maybe he did save you and had to run."_

 _Deanna didn't answer. If, in fact, Castiel did save her, she was in his debt again. And this debt can't be paid back. "If he did, it was all probably part of his act. You know, to make people think he's in love with me."_

" _Oh,"_ _Claire_ _responded thoughtfully, "I didn't think that was an act."_

" _Of course, it is." Deanna explained, "He worked it out with our mentor."_

 _The anthem ended and the sky went dark._

" _Let's try out these glasses." Deanna said, changing the subject. She pulled out the glasses and slipped them on._ _Claire_ _wasn't kidding. She could see everything to the leaves on the trees to skunk strolling through the bushes a good fifty feet away. Deanna could have killed it from there it she wanted to. She could kill anyone._

" _I wonder who else has a pair of these." Deanna mentioned._

" _The Careers have two pairs."_ _Claire_ _answered, "But they're got everything down by the lake. And they're so strong."_

" _We're strong, too." Deanna countered, "Just in a different way."_

" _You're strong."_ _Claire_ _replied, "You can shoot. What can I do?"_

" _You can feed yourself." Deanna reasoned, "Can they?"_

" _They don't need to_ _Claire_ _. pointed out, "They have all those supplies."_

" _Say they didn't." Deanna speculated, "Say the supplies were gone. How long would they last? I mean, it's the Hunger Games, right?"_

" _But Deanna, they're not hungry."_ _Claire_ _responded, not catching on._

" _No, they're not." Deanna agreed, "That's the problem. I think we're going to have to fix that,_ _Claire_ _."_

 **The Arena**

 **The Next Day**

 _The boom of the canon jolted Deanna awake. The sky was streaked with light, the birds already chattering._ _Claire_ _perched a branch across from her, cupping something. They waited, listening for mote shots, but there weren't any._

" _Who do you think that was?" Deanna asked, and she couldn't help thinking of Castiel._

" _I don't know."_ _Claire_ _replied, "It could have been any of the others. I guess we'll find out tonight."_

" _Who's left again?" Deanna requested._

" _The boy from District 1."_ _Claire_ _answered, "Both Tributes from two. The boy from three. Thresh and me. And you and Castiel. That's eight. Wait, and the boy from 10, the one with the bad leg. He makes nine."_

 _There was someone else, but neither of them could remember who it was._

" _I wonder how the last one died."_ _Claire confessed_

" _No telling." Deanna replied, "But it's good for us. A death should hold the crowd for a bit. Maybe we'll have some time to do something before the Gamemakers decide things have been moving too slowly. What's in your hand."_

" _Breakfast."_ _Claire_ _answered, holding her hands out to reveal two big eggs._

" _What kind are those?" Deanna asked._

" _Not sure."_ _Claire_ _admitted, "There's a marshy area over that way. Some kind of water bird."_

 _It's be nice to cook them, but neither of them wanted to risk a fire. There was guess was the tribute that died was a victim of the Careers, which meant they've recovered enough to be back in the Games. They sucked out the inside of the eggs, ate a rabbit leg and some berries. It was a good breakfast anywhere._

" _Ready to do it?" Deanna asked, pulling on her back._

" _Do what?"_ _Claire_ _asked, but by the way she pounced up, Deanna could tell she was for whatever the older girl proposed._

" _Today we take the Careers' food." Deanna declared._

" _Really? How?" There was a glint of excitement in_ _Claire's_ _eyes. In this way, she was the exact opposite of Sam, for whom adventures were an ordeal._

" _No idea." Deanna admitted, "Come on, we'll figure out a plan while we hunt."_

 _They didn't get much hunting done because Deanna was too busy getting every scrap of information she could out of_ _Claire_ _on the Careers base. She had only been in to spy on then briefly, but she was observant. They had set their camp up by the lake and their supply stash was about thirty yards away. During the day, they had been leaving another tribute, the boy from District 3, to watch over the supplies._

" _The boy from District Three?" Deanna asked, "He's working with them?"_

" _Yes, he stays at the camp full-time. "_ _Claire_ _explained, "He got stung, too, when he drew the Tracker Jackers in the lake. I guess they agreed to let them live if he acted as their guard. But he's not very big."_

" _What weapons does he have?" Deanna questioned._

" _Not much that I could see."_ _Claire_ _answered, "A spear. He might be able to hold a few of us off with that, but Tresh could kill him easily."_

" _And the food's just out in the open?" Deanna checked._

 _Claire_ _nodded._

" _Something's not quite right about that whole set-up." Deanna declared._

" _I know."_ _Claire_ _replied, "But I couldn't tell what, exactly. Deanna, even if you could get to the food, how could you get rid of it?"_

" _Burn it. Dump it in the lake. Soak in him fuel." Deanna poked_ _Claire_ _in the belly, just as she would Sam, "Eat!" She giggled. "Don't worry, I'll think of something. Destroying things is a lot easier than making them."_

 _For a while they dug roots, and gathered berries and greens, and devised their stagey in hushed voices. And she came to know_ _Claire,_ _the oldest of six kids, fiercely protective of her siblings, who gives her rations to the younger ones, who forges in the meadows in a District where the Peacekeepers are far less obliging than ours. Claire, who when Deanna asked her what she loves most in the world, said, of all things, "Music."_

" _Music?" Deanna repeated. In her world, she ranked music between hair ribbons and rainbows in terms of usefulness. At least a rainbow gives you a tip on the weather. "You have a lot of time for that?"_

" _We sing at home."_ _Claire_ _explained, "At work, too. That's why I love your pin." She pointed to the Mockingjay that Deanna had again forgotten about._

" _You have Mockingjays?" Deanna asked._

" _Oh, yes."_ _Claire_ _confirmed, "I have a few that are my special friends. We can sing back and forth for hours. They carry messages for me."_

" _What do you mean?" Deanna asked._

" _I'm usually up highest, so I'm the first to see the flag that signals quitting time." Claire explained, "There's a special little song I do." She opened her mouth and sung a little four notes run in a clear, sweet voice. "That's how everyone knows to knock off. They can be dangerous, thought, if you get too close to their nest. But you can't blame them for that."_

 _Deanna unclasped the pin and held it out to Claire. "Here, you take it. It has more meaning for than me."_

" _Oh, no," Claire responded, closing Deanna's fingers back over the pin. "I like to see it on you. That's how I decided I could trust you. Besides, I have this." She pulled a necklace woven out of some type of grass from her shirt. On it, hung a roughly craved women star. Or maybe it was a flower. "It's a good luck charm."_

" _Well, it's worked so far." Deanna commented, pinning the mockingjay pin back to her shirt. "Maybe you should just stick with that."_

 _By launch, they had a plan. By late afternoon, they were poised to carry it out. Deanna helped Claire collect and place the wood for the first two campfires, she would have time to complete the third on her own. They decided to meet after at the site where they ate their first meal together. The stream should help guide them back to it. Before Deanna left, she made sure Claire was well-stocked with food and matches. She even insisted Claire took her sleeping bag, in case it's not possible to rendezvous by that night._

" _What about you?" Claire asked, "Won't you be cold?"_

" _Not if I pick up another one by the lake. "She explained. "You know, stealing isn't illegal here." She added with a grin._

 _At the last minute Claire decided to teach Deanna the mockingjay symbol, the one she gave to indicate the day's work is done. "I might not work. But if you hear the mockingjays singing it, you'll know I'm okay, only I can't get back right away."_

" _Are there many mockingjays here?" Deanna asked._

" _Haven't you seen them?" Claire replied, "They've got nest everywhere."_

 _Deanna has to admit, she hadn't noticed. "Okay, then." She said, "If all goes to plan, I'll see you for dinner."_

 _Unexpectedly, Claire threw her arms around Deanna. She only hesitated a minute before hugging back._

" _You be careful." Claire requested._

" _You too." Deanna replied, before turning back and heading to the scream, somehow worried. About Claire being killed, about Claire not being killed and them being left for last, abut leaving Claire alone, about leaving Sam alone back home. No, Claire had her mother, and Gale, and a baker who promised she won't go hungry. Claire only had Deanna._

 _Once Deanna reached the stream, she only had to follow it downhill to the place she initially picked up after the Tracker Jacker attack. She had to be cautious as she moved along the water though, because she found herself preoccupied with unanswered questions, most of which involve Castiel. The cannon fired early that morning, did it signify his death. If so, how did he die? At the hands of a Career And was it in revenge for letting her live? She struggled again to remember the moment over Glimmer's body, when he burst through the trees. But just the fact that he was sparkling made her doubt everything that happened._

 _She must have been moving very slowly the day before because she reached the shallow stench where she took her bath in just a few hours. She stopped at the stream to replenish her water and attempt to camouflage her orange backpack with another layer of mud. It seemed bent on reverting back to that color no matter how many times she covered it._

 _Her proximity to the Careers camp sharpened her senses, and the closer she got to them, the sharper her senses became, the more guarded she became, pausing frequently to listen for unnatural sounds, an arrow already fitted into the string of her bow. She didn't see any other tributes, but she noticed some of the things Claire mentioned. Patches of sweet berries. A bush with the leaves that healed her stings. Clusters of Tracker Jacker hives in the vincity of the tree she had been trapped in. And here and there, the black-and-white flash of a mockingjay flying overhead._

 _When she reached the tree with the abandoned nest at its foot, Deanna paused a moment to gather her courage. Claire had given her specific instructions on how to reach the spying place near the lake from this point. She was the hunter now, not them. She got a firmer grasp on her bow and went on. She made it to the copse that Claire had told her about and again admired her cleverness. It was right at the end of the wood, but the bushy foliage was so thick down low she could easily spy on the Career camp without being spotted. Between them lied the flat expanse where the Games began._

 _There were four Tributes. The boy from District 1, Cato, and the girl from District 2, and a scrawny, ashen-skinned boy who may be from District 3. He made almost no impression on Deanna at all during their time at the Capital. She could remember almost nothing about him, not his costume, not his training score, not his interview. Even then, as he sat there fiddling with some kind of plastic box, he was easily ignored in the presence of his large and domineering companions. But he had to be of some value or they wouldn't have bothered to let him live. Still, seeing him added to Deanna's sense of unease over why the Careers would possibly leave him as a guard why they had allowed him to live at all._

 _The Cornucopia sat in its original position, but its insides had been picked clean. Most of the supplies, held in creates, burlap sacks, and plastic bins, are plied neatly in a pyramid in what seemed a questionable distance from the camp. Others were sprinkled around the perimeter of the pyramid, almost mincing the layout of supplied around the Cornucopia at the onset of the Games. A canopy of netting that, asides from discouraging birds seems to be useless, shelters the pyramid itself._

 _The whole set up was perplexing. The distance, the netting, and the presence of the boy from District 3. One thing was for sure, destroying the supplies was not going to be as simple as it looked. Some other factor was at play there, and Deanna decided she better stat put until she could figure out what it was. Her guess was that the pyramid was booby trapped in some matter. Maybe concealed pits, descending nets or a thread that when broken sent a poisonous dart to one's heart. Really, the options were endless._

 _While Deanna was mauling over her options, she heard Cato shout out. He was pointing to the woods far beyond her, and without turning she knew Claire must have set the first fire. They had gathered enough wood to make it quite noticeable. The Career began to armed themselves at once when an argument broke about whether or not the boy from District 3 should accompany them._

" _He's coming." Cato insisted, "We need him in the woods and his job's done anyway. No one can touch those supplies."_

" _What about Lover Boy?" The boy from District 1 asked._

" _I keep telling you, forget about him." Cato snapped, "I know where I cut him. It's a miracle he hasn't bled to death. At any rate, he's in no shape to raid us."_

 _So Castiel was out there in the woods, badly wounded. But she was still in the dark on what motivated him to betray the Careers._

" _Come on." Cato continued, trusting a spear into the hands of the boy from 3, and with that they headed off in the direction of the fire. The last thing Deanna heard as they entered the woods was Cato saying, "When we find her, I kill her in my own way and on one interferes."_

 _Someone Deanna thought he wasn't talking about Claire. Claire didn't drop a hive of Tracker Jackers on him._

 _Deanna stayed put for half an hour or so, trying to figure out what to do with the supplies. The one advantage she had with the bow and arrow is distance. She could send a flaming arrow into the pyramid easily enough—she was a good enough shot to get into one of the openings in the net—but there was no guarantee it would catch. More it would just burn itself out and then what? She would had achieved nothing and given them far too much information about herself. That she was there, that she had an accomplice, and that she could use a bow and arrow with acracy._

 _There was no alternative. She was going to have to get in closer and see if she can discover what actually protects the supplies. In fact, she was just about to reveal herself when movement caught her eye. Several hundred yards to her right, she saw someone emerge from the woods. It was the girl she had taken to calling Foxface, the one she and Claire had forgot about that morning. When she decided it was safe, Foxface ran for the pyramid in small, quick steps. Just before she reached the circle of supplies that had been little around the pyrid, she stopped searched the ground, and carefully put her feet on the spot. Then she began to approach the pyramid with strange little hops, sometimes landing on one foot, teetering slightly, sometimes taking a few steps. At one point, she launched into the air, over a small barrel and landed on her tiptoes. But she overshot slightly, and her momentum threw her forward. Deanna heard Foxface give a sharp sequel as her hands hit the ground, but nothing happened. In a moment, she regained her feet and continued until she reached the bluck of the supplies._

 _So, Deanna was right about the booby trap, but it was clearly more complex then she imagined. She was right about that girl, too. How wily is she to have discovered this path into the food and be able to replicate so neatly? She filled her pack, taking a few items from a verity of containers, crackers from a crate, a handful of apples from a burlap sack suspended from a rope off the side of a bin. But she only took a handful of eat, not enough to tip off that food if missing. Not enough to cause suspicion. And then she was doing her od little dance back out of the circling and scampering into the woods again, safe and sound._

 _Deanna realized she was grinning her teeth in frustration. Foxface had confirmed what she already suspected. But what kind of trap could they lay that requires such dexterity? Has so many trigger points. Why did she squeal so as her hands made content with the ground? One would have thought that the very ground was going to explode. That was when it dawned on Deanna._

" _It's mined." She whispered._

 _That explained everything, including the involment of the boy from 3, where they had factories. Factories that made televisions and automobiles and explosives. But where did he get them? In the supplies? Explosives were not a weapon the Gamemakers usually provided, given they liked the Tributes to draw blood personally. She slipped out of the bushes and crossed to one of the round metal plates that ifed the Tributes into the arena. The ground around it had been dug up and patted back down. The land mines around them were disabled after 60 seconds, but the boy from District 3 had managed to deactivate them. She had never seen anyone in the Games do that. It must have been a shock to even the Gamemakers._

 _Well, hurray for the District 3 boy for getting one over on them, but what was Deanna supposed to do now? She obviously couldn't just stroll up to them, and the arrow wasn't an option anymore. The mines were set off by pressure, and it didn't take a lot. One year, a girl dropped her token, a small wooden ball, before the mines were deactivated, and they latterly had to scrape pieces of her off the ground._

 _Deanna's aim was pretty good, she might have been able to chuck some rocks in there and set off what? Maybe one mine? At least that could start a chain reaction. Or could it? Would the boy from District 3 had placed the mines in a way that would not disturb the others, thereby protecting the supplies but ensuring the death of the invader? Even if she blew up only one mine, it would draw the Careers back there for sure. Anyway, what was she thinking? There was that net, strung up to prevent any such attack. What she really needed was to somehow throw thirty rocks in there at once, setting off a train reaction, demolishing the whole lot._

 _Deanna glanced back into the woods. The smoke from Claire's second fire was wafting into the sky. By now the Careers had probably begun to expect it was some sort of trick. Time was running out._

 _There was a solution to this, Deanna knew there was, she just had to think hard enough. She stared at the pyramids, the bins the crates, too heavy to topple over with an arrow. Maybe she could hit one of the containers of cooking oil, and the burning arrow idea was reviving when Deanna realized she could lose all sleeve of her arrows and not hit a single oil bin, since she was guessing. She was thinking of recreating Foxface's balancing act when her eyes caught sight of a sack of apples. She could server the rope in one shot. A big bag like that had to be good for one explosion, but if she could free the apple…_

 _Suddenly Deanna knew what to do. She moved into range and gave herself three arrows to get the job done. She placed her feet carefully, blocking out the rest of the world as she took meticulous aim. The first arrow tore through the side of the bag at the top, leaving a split in the burlap. The second arrow widened it to a gaping hole. She could see an apple teetering when she let the final arrow go, catching the torn flap of burlap and ripping it from the bag._

 _For a minute, everything seemed frozen in time. Then they applied spilled out and Deanna was thrown backwards into the air. The impact of the hard-packed earth of the plain knocked the wind out of her. Her backpack did little to soften the blow. Fortunately, her quiver was caught in the crock of her elbow, sparing both itself and her shoulder, and her bow was locked in her grasp. The ground still shocks with explosions, but Deanna couldn't hear them. She couldn't hear anything at the moment. But the apples must have set up enough mines, causing debris to activate the others. Deanna managed to shield her face with her arms as shattered bits of matter, some of it burning, rained down on her. An acrid smoke filled the air, which was not the best remedy for someone trying to regain the ability to breathe._

 _After a minute, the ground stopped vibrating. Deanna rolled on her side, allowing herself a moment of satisfaction at the sight of the smoldering wreckage of what use to be the pyramid. The Career weren't likely to slave age anything out of that._

 _Deanna realized the Careers would be making a beeline for their camp, and she had to go. However, once she got to her feet she realized escape wasn't going to be that simple. She was dizzy, not the slightly wobbling but the kind that sent trees swooping around her and caused the earth to move under her feet. She took a few steps and somehow wound up on her hands and knees. She waited a few minutes to let it pass, but it didn't._

 _Panic began to set in. She couldn't stay here. Flight was essential. But she couldn't walk or hear. She placed a hand on her left ear, the one that had been facing the blast, and when she pulled it away there was blood on it. Had she gone deaf from the explosion. The very possibility terrified her. As a hunter, she needed both her eyes and ear. But she couldn't let that fear show. She knew she was absolutely, positively, live on every screen in Panem._

 _She also couldn't leave a blood trail. She managed to pull her hood over her head, and tie the cord under her chin with uncorotavie fingers. She thought it would help soak up the blood. She couldn't walk, but could she crawl? She moved forward tentively. Yes, she could crawl. Most of the woods offered insufficient cover. Her only hope was to make it back to Claire's copse and conceal herself in the greenery. She couldn't get caught out there on her hands and knees in the open. Not only would she face death, but it would be a long and painful one at Cato's hand. The thought of Sam having to watch that kept Deanna doggedly pushing forward._

 _Another blast knocked her flat on her face. A stray mine, set off by some collapsing crate. That happened two more times during the crawl. She was reminded of those few stray kernels that pop last when she and Sam popcorn over the fire._

 _To say Deanna made it in the nick of time would be an understatement. She latterly just dragged herself into the tangle of bushes as the base of the trees when Cato came barreling onto the plain, followed soon after by his companions. His rage might have been comical—so people really do tear out their hair, and beat the ground with their fist—if she didn't know it was aimed at her, at what she had done. Add that to her proximity and her inability to run or defend herself left her terrified._

 _The boy from District 3 threw several stones into the ruins and must have declared all the mines activated because the Careers approached the wreckage._

 _Cato finished the first stage of his tantrum and took out his anger on the smoking remains by kicking open various containers. The other Tributes were poking around them mess, looking for anything to salvage, but there was nothing. The boy from District 3 had done his job too well. That thought must had occurred to Cato, too, because he turned on the boy and appeared to be shouting at him. The boy from District only had enough time to turn and run before Cato caught him in a headlock from behind. Deanna could see the muscles rippled in Cato's arms as he sharply jerked the boy's head to the side._

 _It was the quick, the death of the boy from District 3._

 _The other two Careers seemed to by trying to calm Cato down. Deanna could tell he wanted to go back into the woods, but they kept pointing at the sky, which puzzled her until she realized they must think whoever set the explosion was dead. They didn't know about the bow and the apples. The assumed the booby trap was faulty, but the Tribute who blew up the supplies was killed doing it. If there was a cannon shot, it could have easily been covered by the subsequent explosions, and the shattered remains picked up by hover craft before they got back. The retired to the far side of the lake to allow the Gamemakers to gather the body of the boy from District 3. And they wait._

 _Deanna still stayed put as the cannon went as a hovercraft took the body of the boy from District 3 again. The sun dipped below the horizon and night fell. A moment of darkness and then they showed the boy from District 3 and the boy from District 10, who must have been the victim from that moment. Then the seal reappeared. So now they knew. The boomer survived. In the seal's light, she could see Cato and the girl from District 2 putting on night-vision glasses. The boy from District 1 ignited a tree branch for a torch, illuminating the determined looks on their faces. The Careers stride back into the woods to hunt._

 _The dizziness had subsided and while her left ear is still deafened, Deanna could hear the ringing in her right, which seemed to be a good sign. There was no point in leaving her hiding place, though. She was about as safe as she could be, there at the crime scene. They probably think their bomber had a two or three-hour head start on them. Still it was a while before she risked moving._

 _The first thing she did is dig out her own glasses and put them on, which relaxed her a little, to have at least one of her hunter's senses working. She drank some water and washed the blood out of her ear. Fearing the smell of meat would draw unwanted predators—fresh blood was bad enough—she made a good meal out of the greens and roots and berries she and Claire gathered that day._

 _Where was her little ally? Did she make it back to rendezvous point? Was she worried about Deanna? At least the sky showed that they were both alive._

 _Deanna ran through the surviving Tributes on her fingers. The boy from 1, both 2, Foxface, both from 11, and her and Casitel. Just eight of them. The betting must be getting really hot in the Capitol. She knew they would be doing special features on each of them now. Interviewing friends and families. It had been a long time since a Tribute from District 12 made to to the top eight. And now there was two of them. Although from what Cato said, Castiel was on his way out. Not that Cato had was the final word on everything. Didn't he just lose his entire stash of supplies._

 _A cold breeze sprung up. Deanna reached for her sleeping bag before remembering she had given it to Claire. Deanna was supposed to pick another one up but with the mines the mines and all, she somewhat underhandedly forgot. She began to shiver. Since roosting overnight in a tree isn't sensible anyway, she scooped out a hollow under the bushes and covered herself with leaves and pine needles. She was still freezing. She laided her sheet of plastic over her upper body and positioned her backpack to block out the wind. It was a little better. She began to have more sympathy for the girl from District 8 who lit a fire and got herself killed on the first night but now it was her who had to grit her teeth and tough it out until morning. More leaves, more pine needles. She pulled her arms inside her jacket and tucked her knees up to her chest. Somehow, she drifted off to sleep._

 _When Deanna opened her eyes, the world was slightly fractured, and it took a minute for her to realize the sun must be well up, causing the glasses to fragment her visions. As she sat up and removed them, she heard a laugh somewhere near the lake and froze. It was disoriented, but the fact that she could hear anything at all meant she must be regaining her hearing. Yes, her right ear could hear again, even thought it was ringing. As for her left ear, well, at least the bleeding had stopped._

 _Deanna peered through the bushes, fearing the return of the Careers and her further internment in the bushes. But no, it was Foxface, standing in the rubble of the camp and laughing. She was actually smarter than the Careers finding some things in the ashes. A metal pot a knife blade. Deanna was perplexed by Foxface's laughter until she realized that with the Career's stores illuminated, the cunning girl might have a chance. Just like the rest of them. It crossed Deanna's mind to reveal herself and create a second ally against that pack. But she ruled that out. There was something about that sly grin that made her believe that befriending Foxface would lead to knife in Deanna's back. With that in mind, this would actually be a good time to shoot her. But then she heard something, not Deanna, because she turned her head away, towards a drop-off, and she spirited off into the woods. Deanna waited. No one, nothing showed, up. Still, of Foxface thought it was dangerous, Deanna figured she should be getting out of there, too. Besides, she was egger to tell Claire about the pyramid._

 _Since Deanna had no idea where the Careers were, she decided the root back by stream is as good as any. She hurried, loaded bow in one hand, a cold hunk of groosling in the other, because she was famished at that point, and not just for leaves and berries but for the fat and protein in them meat. The trip to the stream was uneventful. Once there she refilled her water and washed, being particularly careful with her injured ear. Then she traveled uphill using the stream as a guide. At one point, she found boot prints in the mud along the bank. The Careers must had been there but not for long. The prints were deep because of the soft mud, but now they're dry from the hot sun. Deanna realized she hadn't been careful enough with her own tracks, counting on a light tread and pine needles to conceal her tracks. So, she stripped off her boots and shock and went barefoot up the bed of the stream._

 _The cool water had an invigorating effect on Deanna's body, her spirts. She shot two fish, easy pickings in the slow-moving stream, and went ahead and ate one raw even though she just had the groosling. The second she saved for Claire._

 _Gradually, studlely, the ringing in Deanna's ear diminished until it was gone entirely. She found herself pawing at her left ear periodically, trying to clean away whatever deadened its ability to collect sounds. If there was improvement, it was undetectable. She couldn't adjust to the deafness in her left ear. It made her feel unbalanced and defenseless on her left side. Her head kept turning to the injured side, as her right ear tried to compensate for the nothiness where the day before there was a constant flow of information. The more time passed, the more hopeless Deanna was that thus injury would heal._

 _When Deanna reached the site of their first meeting, he felt positive that it had been disturbed. There was no sign of Claire, not in the ground or in the trees. This was odd. It was midday, she should had returned by then. Undoubtedly, she spent the night in a tree somewhere. What else could she had done with no light and the Careers with their night-vision glasses stomping around. And the third fire she was supposed to set-which Deanna had forgot to look for the night before-was the furthest of all from their campsite. She was probably just being cautious about making her way back. Deanna still wish she would hurry, because she didn't want to wait there for long. She wanted to spend the afternoon getting to higher ground, hunting as they went. But all she could do was wait._

 _Deanna passed the time by washing the blood out of her jacket and hair and cleaning her ever-growing list of wounds. The burns were much better but she used a bit of medicine on them anyway. The main thing now was keeping away infection. She went ahead and ate the second fish, as it wasn't going to last in the hot sun, and she could spear more for Claire. If she would show up already._

 _Feeling too vulnerable in the ground with her lopsided hearing, Deanna scaled a tree to wait. If the Careers showed up, it would be a prime spot to look for them. As the sun moved slowly, she did things to pass the time. Chewed leaves and applying them to her stings, which were deflated now, but still tender. Combed through her damp hair with her fingers and braided it. Laced her boots back up. Checked her bow and the remaining nine arrows. Tested her left ear repeated for signs of life and rustling a leaf with it, but without good results._

 _Despite the groosling and the fish, her stomach was growling, and she knew she was going to have what they called a hollow day in District 12. That's a day where no matter what one put in one's belly, it was never enough. Having nothing to do but sit in a tree all day didn't help the situation, so she decided to give into it. After all, she had lost a lot of weight in the arena, so she needed some extra calories. And having the bow and arrow made her far more confident about her future prospects._

 _Deanna slowly peeled and ate a handful of nuts. Then her last cracker. Then the groosling neck. That good because it took some time to pick clean. Finally, she ate the groosling wing and the bird was history. But it was a hollow day, and even with at that she started day-dreaming about food, particularly the decadent dishes served in the Capitol. The chicken in creamy orange sauce. The cakes and puddings. Bread with butter. Noodles in green sauce. The lamb and dried plumb stew. She sucked a few mints leaves she found and told herself to get over it. They often drank mint tea after supper, so it tricked her stomach into thinking eating time was over. Sort of._

 _Between dabbling up in the tree, with the sun warming her, a mouthful a mint, and her bow and arrows in her hand, this was the most relaxed Deanna had been since she entered the arena. If only Claire would show up and they would clear out. As the shadows grew, so did her restlessness. By late afternoon, she had resolved to go looking for her. She could at least visit the spot where she sat the third fire and see if there were any clues to her whereabout._

 _Before she went, Deanna made sure to scatter a few mint leaves around her old campfire. Since they gathered them some distance away, Claire would understand she had been there if she showed up, but it would mean nothing to the Careers._

 _In less than an hour, she was at the place where they agreed to have the third fire and she knew something had gone awry. The wood had been neatly arranged, expertly interspersed with tinder, but it was never lit. Claire set up the fire but never made it back there. Somewhere the second solum of smoke she spied before blowing up the supplies and that point, she ran into trouble._

 _Deanna had to remind herself Claire was still alive. Or was she? Could the cannon shot announcing her death had come in the wee hours of the morning when even her good ear was too broken to pick it up? Would she appear in the sky tonight? No. She refused to believe it. There could have been a hundred other explanations. She could have lost her way. She could have run into a pack of predators or another tribute, and had to hide. Whatever haooenedm she was almost certain she was stuck out there, somewhere between the second fire and the unlit one at Deanna's feet. Something was keeping Claire up a tree._

 _And Deanna was going to hunt it down._

 _It was a relief to be doing something after sitting around all afternoon. She crept silently through the shadows, letting them conceal her. But nothing seemed suspicious. There was no sign of any kind of struggle, no disruption of the needles on the ground. She stopped for just a moment when she heard it. She had to cock her head around to the side to be sure, but there it was again. Claire's four-note tune coming out of the mockingjay's mouth. The one that meant she was all right._

 _Deanna grinned and moved in the direction of the bird. Another just a short distance ahead, picked up on the handful of notes. Claire had been singing to them, and recently. Other they would have picked up some other song. Her eyes lifted up into the trees, searching for a sign of her. She swallowed and sang softly back, hoping she would know it was safe to join her. A mockingjay repeated the melody to her. And that was when she heard the scream._

 _It was a child's scream, a young girl's scream, there was no one in the arena capable of making that sound except Claire. Deanna took off running, knowing this may be a trap, knowing the three Careers may be poised to attack her, but she couldn't help herself. There was another high-pitched cry, this time her name. "Deanna! Deanna!"_

" _Claire!" Deanna shouted back, so Claire knew she was near. So,_ they _knew she was near, and hopefully the girl who had attacked them with Tracker Jackers and gotten an eleven she still couldn't explain would be enough to pull their attention away from her. "Claire! I'm coming!"_

 _When Deanna broke into the clearing, Claire was on the ground, hopelessly entangled in a bet. She just had time to reach her hand through the mesh and say her name before the spear entered her body._

 _The boy from District 1 died before he could spll out the spear. Deanna arrow drive deeply into the center of his neck. He fell to his knees and alves the brief remainder of his life by yanking out the arrow and drowning in his own blood. Deanna reloaded, shifting her aim from side to side, while she shouted at Claire, "Are there more? Are there more?"_

 _She had to say no several times before Deanna heard it._

 _Claire rolled to her side, her body curved in and around the spear. Deanna shoved the boy away from her and pulled out her knife, freeing her from the net. One look at the wound and she knew it was far beyond her capacity to heal. Beyond anyone's probably. The spearhead was buried up to the shaft in her stomach. There was no point in comforting word, in telling her she would be alright. Claire was no fool Her hand reached out and Deanna clutched it like a lifeline. As if it was her that was dying instead of Claire._

" _You blew up the food?" Claire whispered._

" _Every last bit." Deanna confirmed._

" _You have to win." Claire pleaded._

" _I'm going to." Deanna vowed, "Going to win for both of us now." She heads the cannon and looked up. It must have been for the boy from District 1._

" _Don't go." Claire pleaded, tightening her grip on her hand._

" _Course not." Deanna assured her, "Staying right here." She moved in closer to Claire, pulling her head into her lap. She gently brushed the blonder, thick hair behind her ear._

" _Sing." Claire requested, but Deanna barely caught the word._

 _The question was, sing what? Deanna did know a few songs. There was music once in her house, too. Music Deanna helped make. Her father pulled her in with his remarkable voice-but she hadn't sung since he died. Except when Sam was very sick, then she would sing the sing she liked when she was the baby._

 _Deanna's throat was tight with tears and hoarse from smoke and fatigue. But this was Claire's last request, so she had to at least try. She knew the prefect one, a very old one, but its words were easy and soothing and promising a hopeful future compared to this nightmare they called today. She gave a small cough, swallowed hard, then began:_

Deep in the meadow, under the willow,

A bed of grass, a soft green pillow

Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes

And when again they open, the sun will rise.

Here, it's safe, here it's warm

Here the daises guard you from every harm.

Here your dreams are safe and tomorrow brings them true

Here is the place where I love you.

 _Claire's eyes fluttered shut. Her chest moved but only lightly. Deanna's throat released the tears and they slide down her cheeks. But she had to finish the song for her._

Deep in the meadow, hidden far away

A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray

Forget your woes and let your troubles lay

And when it's morning, they'll all be washed away.

Here it's safe, here it's warm

Here the daises guard you from every harm.

 _The final lines are barely audible._

Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow bringing them true.

Here is the place where I love you.

 _Everything was still and quiet. Then, almost eerily, the mockingjays took up her song._

 _For a moment Deanna sat there, watching the tears stream down her face. Claire's cannon fired. Deanna leaned forward and pressed her lips against the little girl's temple. Slowly, as if not to wake her, she laid her head back on the ground and released Claire's hand._

 _Deanna knew that Gamemakers would want her to clear out so they could collect the bodies. And there was nothing to stay for. She rolled the boy from District 1 onto his face and took his pack, retrieving the arrow that took his life. She cut Claire's pack from her back knowing she would want her to have it, but left the spear in her stomach. Weapons in body would be transported to the hovercraft. She had no use for spears, and the sooner that particular one was gone the better._

 _Deanna couldn't stop looking at Claire, a baby animal curled up in a nest of netting. Deanna couldn't bring herself to leave her like that. Past harm, but seeming utterly defenseless. To hate the boy from District 1, who also seemed so venerable in death, felt inadequate. It was the Capitol Deanna hated, for doing this to them all in the first place. Were it not for their bloodlust, the three of them would probably have never met, let alone killed each other. Claire's death was forcing Deanna to confront her fury against the cruelty, the injustice. But in the arena, even more strongly than at home, she felt her impotence. Was no way to take revenge on the Capitol. Was there?_

 _She also thought about something Castiel had told her the night before the Games started. That he wanted a way to show the Capitol they didn't own him. That he was more than just a piece of their Games. For the first time, Deanna understood what he meant. She wanted to do something then and there to shame them, to make them accountable, to show the Capitol that whatever they did or forced them to do there was part of every Tribute they didn't own, that they couldn't. That Claire was more than just piece of their Games. And so was Deanna._

 _A few steps into the woods grew a bank of wildflowers. Perhaps they were really weeds of some sort, but they had blossoms in beautiful shades of violet and yellow and white. Deanna gathered up an armful and went back to Claire's body. Slowly, one stem at a time, Deanna decorated Claire's body with the flowers, covering the ugly wound, wreathing her face, weaving her hair with the bright flowers._

 _Deanna knew they would have to show it. Or if they chose to turn the cameras elsewhere at that moment, they would have to bring them back when they collected the bodies and everyone see Claire and know what Deanna had done. She took a step back for one last look at Claire. The little girl looked like she could really be asleep in the meadow after all._

" _Bye Claire." Deanna whispered. Then she pressed the three middle fingers of her left hand against her lips and held them out in her direction. Then she walked away without looking back._

 _The birds fell silent. Somewhere, a mockingjay gave out the warning that preceded the hovercraft. Deanna didn't know how it knew, they must be able to hear things humans can't. She paused, her eyes focused on what was ahead, not what was happening behind her. It didn't take long, then the general birdsong began and Deanna knew Claire was gone. Another mockingjay, a young one by the look of it, suddenly burst through and began to sing Claire's melody. Deanna's song, the hovercraft noise, were too unfamiliar for then notice to pick up, but it had mastered her handful of notes. The ones that meant she was safe._

" _Good and safe." Deanna said aloud to herself as she passed under a branch, "We don't have to worry about her now." Good and safe._

 _Deanna had no idea where to go now. The brief sense of home she had that one night with Claire had vanished. Her feet wondered this way and that until sunset. She wasn't afraid, not even watchful. Which made her an easy target, where it not for the fact that she would kill anyone she met on sight, without the slightest emotion or tremor in her hands. Just because she hated the Capitol didn't mean she hated the Careers any less. They at the very least should be made to pay for Claire's death._

 _No one appeared, though. There weren't many of them left and it was a big arena. Soon the Gamemakers would be pulling out devices to force them together. But there had been enough gore for tonight. Perhaps they would all even get to sleep._

 _She was about to haul her packs into a tree and set up camp for the night, when a sliver parachute floated down and landed in front of her. A gift from a sponsor. But why now when she was in fairly good shape with supplies? Maybe Bobby noticed her despondency and was trying to cheer her up a bit. Or could it be something for her ear?_

 _She opened the package and found a small loaf of bread. Instead of the fine white Capitol stuff, it was made of dark ration grain shaped in a crescent, sprinkled with them. Back at the Training Center Castiel had given her a tutorial on the breads of each District. This bread came from District 11. Deanna cautiously lifted the still warm loaf. What must it had cost the people of District 11 who can't feed themselves. How many had, had to do without just to donate one coin for this loaf. The gift had to have been meant for Claire before her death, Deanna was certain. They must have authorized Bobby to give it to Deanna instead of pulling it after Claire died. But why? As a thank you for what she had done? Or perhaps, like Deanna, they don't like to let debts go unpaid? For whatever the reason, this was force. A gift from a District to a Tribute that wasn't their own._

 _Deanna lifted her face and stepped into the last falling rays of sunlight. "My thanks to the people of District 11." Deanna declared. She wanted them to know that she knew where the gift came from. She wanted them to know that the value of the gift had been recognized._

 _Deanna climbed dangerously high in the trees, not to protect herself, but to get as far away from today as she possibly could._

 **The Arena**

 **The Next Night**

 _Deanna had forced herself to get through the following day, sorting through her back, but her mind kept going back to the day before, both from the loss of her friend and the realization of ger first actual kill. At least she had yet to find any of the other Tributes in her state._

 _It had been an uneventful day according to the sky. No deaths. Deanna wondered how long until they got the next catastrophe that drew them all together. It if was going to be tonight, she wanted to get some sleep first. She covered her good ear to block out the strains of the anthem, but then she heard the trumpets and sat up in anticipation._

 _For the most part, the only outside communication the Tributes got was the nightly death toll. But occasionally, there were trumpets followed by some kind of announcement. Usually it was call for a feast, usually done when food was scare as an incentive for the Tributes to gather and fight. Sometimes it was an actual feast and sometimes there was nothing but a loaf of stale bread for the Tributes to fight over. Deanna wouldn't go for the food, but it could be an ideal time to take out a few competitors._

 _Claudius Templesmith's voice boomed down from overhead, congratulating the six of them who were left. But he wasn't inviting them to a feast. Instead he was saying that there had been a rule change. That in itself was mind-bending as there weren't any rules to speak of except not to step off the circle for sixty seconds. Under the new rule, both Tributes from the same District could be declared the winners if they were the last two left alive. Claudius paused, as he knew that weren't getting it, and then repeated again._

 _The news sunk in. Two Tributes could win this year. If they were from the same District, that was. Both could live. Both of them could live._

" _Cas!" She called out before she could stop herself, "Castiel!"_

 **The Arena**

 **Right Now**

"I found him by the river, camouflaged by a river." Deanna continued, "He had an infected leg wound, and when they did actually hold a feat, I got medicine for it. When he was well enough to move, which was only a few hours ago, we went out gather and now there's only three of us left." After a moment she added, "If you don't you two. Who are you by the way?"

"We're you and Sam for another universe." Sam began.

"Yes, one where we are adults, we are men, we're not rules by a dystopian dictatorship and me and Cas aren't a thing." Dean added in. _Or a fake thing._ Even though Deanna had left the whole fake part out, he now recognized this story line. Enough to say, "Hey, you wanna come with?"

"What?" Deanna responded.

"Yeah, what?" Sam agreed.

"Come with us." Dean repeated the offer, "We can find your somewhere better than this craphole."  
The pair was quiet for a moment. The offer was tempting, but there was one small problem. "I can't." Deanna said finally, "I can't leave my sister."

"And I won't leave her." Cas said, taking her hand.

 _Man, I so want to warn this kid._ Dean thought, but said out loud, "Well, the at least let us help you."


	113. The Hunter Games: The Victors

"What?" Deanna responded.

"Yeah, what?" Sam agreed, turning to his brother.

"We can help." Dean said, "We have skills, skills they could use. What would it hurt to stick around a little bit?

"Apart from the dystopian government that could come crashing in on us at any moment?" Sam countered in a low, hushed tone, "Plush, what if we just make it worst for _them_?"

"How could it possibly get any worse?" Dean responded.

"Have you read the rest of the trilogy?" Sam asked, "Or seen the movie versions?"

Suddenly Deanna cleared her throat very loudly, causing the men to turn to face the two teenagers. "If you're going to do something could you do it soon, because eventually the Gamemakers are going to want some answers, or at the very least want to use this for ratings."

"Well the first we do," Dean said, pulling a gun from the bag, "Is fine Cato."

Either the Gamemakers somehow didn't know about Sam and Dean's sudden presence in the arena, or their intended audience was enjoying the _very_ unexpected twist too much for them to care, as no one even tried to stop them as they made their way through the forest, Dean leading with the riffle in his hand.

"Dean, please tell me you're not going to do what I think you're going to do." Sam requested where the District 12 Tributes couldn't hear.

"It depends, what do you think I'm going to do?" Dean responded.

"I think we're going to blow away a teenage boy." Sam said bluntly.

"A teenage boy that killed like, how many people?" Dean countered.

"Because he was forced into a grallatorial arena by a totalitarian government." Sam pointed out.

"A, he wasn't force, he took the place of the kid who would've been forced." Dean reminded his brother, "And if what she says is any indication he's enjoying himself way too much. Trust me, if this hadn't wound up in the Games, he would've stilled killed someone eventually. Probably multiple someone's, he's a serial killer in the making. I'm sure there's a graveyard of mutilated animals in District 2 with his fingerprints all over it."

The agruement was cut off by a rustling in the tress. Suddenly, Cato break through, freezing in supplies when he saw the motely group. "Who the Hell are you?!"

"That's what we said." Deanna commented before she could stop herself.

"Who we are doesn't matter." Dean cut in, cocking the gun, "Game's over, kid."

However, before Dean could shot, Cato reached out, grabbing the gun. He tried to pull it out of Dean's hand, but Dean pulled back. Soon the gun fell on the ground, and the pair charged each other, falling to the ground in a mess of arms and legs.

Sam jumped into the fray to try to save his brother, as Deanna pulled an arrow from her quiver, preparing to shoot. She fired, and Sam screamed as a sharp pain entered his arm.

"Sorry." Deanna called out, dismayed as accidently hurting their helpers, and not knowing what else to say.

Sam pulled the arrow out of his arm, as it was flesh wound that, while painful, was not lethal. "Just hold off on the arrows."

The continued to fight, until Cato finally got up, grabbing hold of the gun. However, thought most of the Peacekeepers came from his District, Cato himself had never been trained in how to use a firearm. As shut he did not know the cranial rule of gun safety: Never, under any circumstances, even if the guns not loaded, point the pun at yourself, and most definitely do not pull the trigger unless you intend to shoot something.

There was a loud _boom_ as he shot himself in the chest.

Even with all Cato had done it was hard to watch, the ugly hole in his chest, him choking on his own blood. Cas slowly walked over to him, kneeled down at took his hand. He slowly closed his eyes, then it was done.

There was a heavy silence for a moment, then Deanna asked, "So what do we do now?"

"Well, I don't think they're going to do anything until we leave." Dean realized, "So, first off, do you still have those berries? The ones that killed the girl?"

"Yeah," Deanna answered, "Why?"

"You might find it useful in a couple of minutes." Dean said, "I'm sorry, I wish I could do more." He had consider giving them some of their weapons, but realized they would probably be taken away. Then he remembered something else that was supposed to happen. He walked over to Deanna and hugged her, using the opportunity to whisper in her ear, "I don't know all the details, but District 13 is still around, just hidden. Seek them out, they can help, but they have their own agenda, so be careful. Just, whatever you do, don't let your Sam become a medic."

When Dean pulled back his female counterpart looked extremely confused.

"I really wish I could do more." Dean said, going back to Sam who had put together the spell.

Once his brother had rejoined him, Sam read, "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind blew heavily through the trees, causing Deanna and Cas to look around.

As Dean and Sam disappeared in the bright light, they hopped they made things better and not worst.


	114. Unexpected Guests

**AN: Special thanks to OrtusNox for this request.**

When they came to again they were once again in the stacks of the bunker. All was quiet, indicating that their other universe selves were not there.

"Come on, let's get this done before someone shows." Dean instructed, franticly throwing ingredients in the bowl.

They had it hallway down the hall when they heard foots coming down the hall, causing them to freeze.

"So, what do you want to deal with first?" A rough, familiar voice asked, "The evil Brits, or Satan on the lose part 3?"

The boys exchanged surprised looks. What was Bobby doing in the bunker?


	115. A Different Familiar Face

"I vote evil Brits." Dean voice said, "At least we know where most of them are."

"We do?" Sam's voice asked.

"Brittan?" Dean responded.

The conversation was just raising more questions for the Sam and Dean hiding between the bookshelves. Did Bobby not die? Was he brought back? And why were they so concern to British people all of a sudden? And what was that about Satan on the loose part 3?

 **Lebanon, Kansas**

 **Two Days Ago**

 _Dean was standing in Garden with the two most powerful beings in the universe in front of him, God A.K.A Chuck Shurley as it turned out, and the Darkness A.K. A. God's sister as it turned out, A. K. A. Amara, who was currently healing her brother._

" _I think we're gonna go away for a while, and…" Chuck began, once his sister was finished._

" _Hey, yeah." Dean cut him off understandingly, "Family meeting. I get it."_

" _But first…"Chuck began before walking over to Dean and placing a hand on his chest, removing the bomb that had been placed there to kill Amara after she fatally wounded Chuck. Thanks to Dean they didn't need it after all._

 _Dean grimaced in pain because, having a bomb removed from one's chest hurts regardless of the circumstances._

" _Better?" Chuck asked._

 _Dean had other conerns. "What about us? What about Earth?"_

" _Earth will be fine." Chuck assured him, "It's got you…and Sam."_

" _Dean, you gave me what I wanted most." Amara told him, "I want to do the same for you."_

 _Not elaborating any further, Chuck and Amara took hands before evaporating into swirls of light and dark smoke before disappearing._

 _Meanwhile at the bunker Sam and Castiel were working down the stairs both grief-stricken at the "lost" of Dean._

" _Sam, I'm so sorry." Cas said, keeping it together for Sam, "If you want to talk…I'm here if you need anything."_

 _Suddenly, an unfamiliar, accented female voice said, "Hello, hello." And a smartly dressed blonde woman who had been hidden a moment before hit a signal, calling Cas to disappear in a flash of light._

" _Cas!" Sam shouted._

 _Sam quickly reached for his gun, but the blonder drew hers first. "Don't." She warned, then started going a mile a minute, leaving Sam unable to get a word in, "Sam Winchester. Toni Bevell. Men of Letters, London Chapterhouse. Oh, you have heard of me-us. We're very traditional. Keep out of the way, keep to our studies._

" _You, um…" Sam began, everything going way too fast for him and recent events weren't helping, "What?"_

" _They sent me to take you in." Toni explained._

" _Take me in?" Sam repeated. That didn't sound good._

" _Assuming the world didn't end and -yay." Toni continued._

 _Sam had, had about enough. "Look, lady— "_

" _We've been watching you, Sam." Toni cut him off, "What you've done, the damage you've caused—archangels, Leviathans, that Darkness, and now, well—the old men have decided, enough's enough. I mean, let's face it, Sam. You're just a jumped-up hunter playing with things you don't understand and doing more harm than good. Now, where's Dean?"_

" _Dead." Sam answered bluntly, "Listen lady." He began to walk towards her as he continued, "I don't know who the Hell you are or what the Hell you want— "_

" _Stop." Toni ordered._

 _Sam continued to move forward. "Put the gun down."_

" _I said stop." Toni declared._

" _You and I both know you're not gonna pull the trigger." Sam responded._

 _As if to prove him wrong, Toni fired, the gun casing clattering on the floor._

 _Meanwhile, Dean was trying to find his away home, walking through a wooded area._

" _Come on." He said aloud to himself, "Where the Hell am I?"_

 _He held up his phone to get a signal when he heard a man's voice. "Hey! Is anybody out there?!"_

 _Dean followed the sound into a clearing where he found an older man with a baseball cap on his head._

" _Bobby?" Dean asked._

" _Dean?" Bobby replied._

" _I, uh…" Dean began, "Are you…. really…real?"_

" _Well, of course I'm real, boy." Bobby scoffed back, "Except last time I checked, I was dead, which appeared to not be the case anymore. Care to explain that? You didn't do anything stupid, did you?"_

" _No." Dean replied, "Not this time. Well, I guess technically we did, but it only had a tangential relation to this."_

 _And so, Dean sat Bobby down and explained what had been going on for the past year._

" _So, God's got a sister?" Bobby recapped once Dean had finished, "And you let her out."_

" _Like I said," Dean began, "We technically did something stupid."_

" _And she's the one that brought me back." Bobby continued, "As some sort of a reward for your family consoling skills?" After a moment he added, "And God was that prophet kid the whole time? Not the second, the first one."_

" _I know it's a lot." Dean admitted, "So, let's get you home. You're gonna love the bunker. And Sam's gonna be thrilled to see you."_

 **Aldric, Missouri**

 **Present Day**

 _The door opened to cellar. Sam knew it was Toni. Bound and bloody, but still definent as ever, he raised his head. "Screw yourself."_

 _Toni reached over and pulled a bound Dean into view. That was the last person Sam expected to see._

" _Dean." Sam gasped._

" _I'm as happy to see him as you are, cause while you may be able to withstand my snapping apart your boddy joint by joint, can you watch it happen to Dean?" Toni explained. Then she brought Dean down the stairs and pushed him in front of Sam. She then took the elder Winchester and attached his bindings to more chains, pulling his hands over his head. She walked away and looked over her torture tools before picking up the brass knuckles. She then walked back over and slugged Dean. "Passcodes, Sam. Not yet?"_

 _Toni looked over to Dean. Surely, he had to know the passcodes as well. "Anything to add?"_

" _No." Dean answered, "No, I just came by for some tea and a beating."_

 _Toni put down the brass knuckles and picked up a cup of tea. "Really? See, I thought you might be on for a little chat about your mate, Benjamin Lafitte. I'm sorry. You called him Benny. You know, the Vampire whom you released from Purgatory and befriended. "However, she got no response, not even a rise. "I see. Well… the English are nothing if not patient." She put down the tea and picked the brass knuckles back up, walking towards Dean._

 _Suddenly the door was kicked opened, and Bobby was standing in the doorway, gun aimed at Toni. "I'd stepped away from those boys if I were you."_

 _Toni quickly grabbed her own gun. "So, Dean, you brought friends."_

 _Once he was over the shock Sam laughed at Toni's apparent ignorance. "Seriously? All that research on us and you don't know who he is?"_

 _Toni narrowed her eyes. The man did look familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it._

" _Dean, how is he here?" Sam asked._

" _I'll explain later." Dean promised._

" _What are you two going on about?" Toni snapped, never taking the gun off Bobby._

" _That's Bobby Singer." Sam explained._

 _Toni actually did a double take at that. "No, that's impossible, he's been dead for years, killed by Leviathans." Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, causing her to grab it. She pulled her hand for a moment and saw blood. "What…" She began. Apparently while she was distracted, Bobby had got a shot off._

 _Bobby bounded down the stairs, grabbing the keys and began to unlock Dean's shackles. "Why'd you just shot her in the shoulder?"_

" _Until we know how deep this goes, she's more useful alive." Bobby explained, "Source of intel, hostage."_

" _Not going to happen." Toni said in a pained voice, leveling her gun again._

 _However, in her weakened state, Bobby easily elbowed the gun out of Toni's hand and pistol-whipped her with her own weapon, leaving her unconscious while Dean freed himself._

 _They both went over and freed Sam. "Let's get out of here before anyone else shows up." Bobby said._

 _Dean quickly gathered up his injured brother while Bobby gathered up their hostage and they ran up the stairs and back to the Impala flying out of there mere minutes before a certain other Man of Letters showed up._

 **Lebanon Kansas**

 **Present Day**

"That is if our 'guest' isn't lying." Dean pointed out.

"Oh, trust me, she isn't." Bobby replied.

Then they were out of ear shot, so Dean began to read, "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

Suddenly the wind picked up and as they disappeared in the bright white light, they were confused as ever.


	116. Vikings Apparently

**Special Thanks to OrtusNox for this request.**

When Sam and Dean came to this time they were in a grassy field. Suddenly the sun was blocked out as a large shadow was casted over them. They looked up and their mouths fell agape.

Above them was the belly of a large reptilian creature, its dark wings outstretched. It landed several feet away from them and two boys got off. Catching sight of the older men, the older of the two boys said something to the younger one and walked towards them. As they got closer, they could see he was dress and leather and armor, and his left leg appeared to be some sort of metal-wood-prosthetic.

"Hey, there, kid." Dean began as good-naturedly as he could, seeing no reason to raise alarms for the boy and no reason to thee him what was going on for now.

"Hello." The boy, presumably Dean, replied, friendly, but a bit weary at the same time, "And who are you?"

"I'm Sam and this is my brother, Dean." Sam spoke up, gesturing to his big brother, "We're just passing through. And you are?"

The boy smiled. "Actually, I'm Dean." He gestured back to the younger boy and their dragon, "And that's my little brother Sam and our dragon, Impala."

That took Dean by surprise. "Your dragon is named Impala?"

The younger Dean suppressed a chuckle. "Things are a little different around here. See, instead of fighting dragons, we ride them."


	117. How To Train Your Dragon: SPN Edition

"You ride dragons?" Sam asked, "Isn't that, you know, difficult?"

"At first." Dean admitted, "But once you gain a dragon's trust, it's not that hard to train them. Heck, my little brother was one of the first to do it. Sort of."

 **Village of Lawrence**

 **A Year and A Half Ago**

 _Sixteen-year-old Dean Winchester hid behind a rock as his younger brother Sam walked into a clearing. The young boy had been acting odd ever since the dragon attack a couple of nights before. When he started researching dragons, Dean first thought he was just antsy to start training, even thought he was too young to start, then he started disappearing and then Dean saw him sneaking out of the village with a basket of fish, and according to blacksmith, Bobby, Sam had been prompted his apprentice to some strange task in his forge. When Dean saw him sneaking off with what he assumed was the strange creation, Dean decided to follow him._

 _Dean peered out from behind the rock, and let out a gape and he saw his little brother approaching the back of a black-scaled dragon who was drinking at the stream. It had a smaller build, so Dean guessed it was a female. Still, it was dangerous and his brother was walking right towards it. Dean was about to come out of hiding when Sam said, "Hey, Imp."_

 _Dean froze in surprise that Sam appeared to have named a dragon, and rare Night Fury at that. Then the dragon turned around. Dean's heart skip a beat, seeing no way to get to his brother in time. Then, instead of attacking his brother, the dragon seemed almost…happy to see Sam? What was going on here?_

" _I brought you something." Sam said, wrapping the brown animal skin around whatever he was holding, revealing a large metal half-circle._

 _The dragon, Imp apparently, looked at the piece of metal inquisitively._

" _This will help you fly again." Sam explained, as if the creature was actually intelligent, "But I need to put it on your tail."_

 _It was the Dean noticed the one of the dragon's caudal fin on its tail had been crippled._

 _Dean watched in fascination and confusion as Sam went over to Imp's tail, something Imp was actually allowing him to do, and carefully fastened it to the creature's tail, over the damaged fin. Then the boy carefully guided Imp to move the tail, testing it to see if it was fitted properly._

" _Does it feel to heavy?" Sam asked after a while of fiddling._

 _Imp actually shoot her head no._

 _Sam stepped off the tail and asked, "Can you try to fly for me?"_

 _Sam watched in amazement as Imp flapped her wings, the air underneath lifting her higher and higher until she was high above Sam's head. Sam let out a laugh and a loud whoop, the exactment overwhelming the door. And from his hiding space Dean had to admit, it was pretty cool._

 _The dragon landed a few feet from Sam, just enough to be safe distance away, then bowed her head. Sam looked at her in confusing and then she made a series of gestures that neither he, nor Dean from his hiding spot could understand. This went against everything he had ever been told about dragons._

" _I don't understand." Sam informed her._

 _Apparently, the dragon was able to understand what Sam was saying, as it let out a frustrated huff, then before the boy could react, reached out with her head and used to toss Sam on her back._

 _Dean spurge to action, running out, but before he could read his brother who was still unaware of his presence, asking, "What are you- "The dragon took off again, with Sam on her back._

" _Sam!" Dean called out in horror, "Sammy!"_

 _Sam panicked for a moment, quickly fighting to keep balance, shifting to Imp's back, but when he had calmed down, it hit him: he was actually flying! Suddenly Sam felt a thrill that he had never felt before and as the wind blew all around him, around them. "I can see why miss this!" He shouted, excited, then he hollered just for the joy of it._

 _They flew for a few more minutes then landed. That was when Sam saw Dean standing out in the open, looking relieved and angry and scared all at the same time, and his heart plummeted._

" _Dean." Sam said nervously as he got off Imp, "I know this looks weird, but I can explain…"_

 _Before Sam could get another word out, Dean upon him, checking him for injuries. "Are you alright?" He demanded, "Did she hurt you? It's a female, right? Doesn't matter." Dean drew a small dagger. The blade wasn't big enough to do even do any damage, but Dean was suddenly too angry to think straight. That Nigh Fury wasn't going to live after snatching his brother._

" _Dean, no! "Sammy shouted, getting between his brother in the dragon, "Please! Imp didn't hurt me. She just took me for a ride. I think she just wanted to say thank you."_

 _The dragon nodded, as if confirming the statement._

 _Dean was officially confused and ticked off. "Alright, I want to know what's going on and I want to know it now."_

 _Sam and Dean sat down on a rock by the lake and Sam explained what had happened. Apparently during the last attack, despite Dean's direct instruction for him to stay inside, Sam took a spare crossbow and went out. He managed to injure the Night Fury, but found himself unable to bring himself to kill her. He found her in the clearing the next day trying to fish and failing, so he had been taking care of her ever since._

" _I've been calling her Impala." Sam finished, "She seems to like it."_

 _Dean rubbed his face wearily with one hand. "Sam, this isn't a pet." He moaned, "This is a dangerous creature that would kill you as soon as— "_

" _No, she's not!" Sam exclaimed, "She wouldn't! She's had a dozen chances to and she hasn't even once! She's not a mindless killing machine, Dean! She's-she's intelligent."_

 _Seeing no way to reason with him, Dean hurried away, dragging Sam with him. His brother was too important for Dean to handle this on his own. He was going to get their father, or at least some more experience hunters, come back and-_

" _What if she could help you?!" Sam shouted, desperate to save his dragon._

 _That made Dean stop and turn his head. "What?"_

" _You start training in a few days, right?" Sam reminded him, "So, studying a dragon in his natural habitat could give you an edge."_

 _Dean thought on this for a moment. He had to admit, he was nervous about starting his training. Maybe Sam had a point there._

" _Alright." Dean agreed, "I won't tell anyone just yet. But this better work."_

 **The Village of Lawrence**

 **Two Months Later**

 _It turns out, Dean's studying of dragons worked too well._

 _For one thing, he figured out that Sam had been right, Impala meant them no harm. What's more most dragons were as scared of them and they were of the dragons. For another, Dean had done so well in training he was picked to be the first to kill their first dragon. And one of those things was having an effect on the other._

 _You can guess which was which._

 _And now Dean had secured the dragon in the arena, but wasn't killing it, much to the confusion and fear of the crowd. Dean turned around and was about to explain that they didn't have to hurt to them, when the dragon flinched. It was enough for the boy's father to sprang from his seat and into the arena._

 _The suddenly movement startled the dragon, and he rounded on Dean, the fear and anger returned to his eyes, shooting flames from his mouth. Dean cried out, but rolled out of the way just in time. Screams broke out from the arena and Dean stared in terror as the dragon came at him._

 _Suddenly a great dark dragon that was all too familiar to the boys came down, blocking the other dragon's attack._

" _Imp, no!" Dean screamed, but the fight continued anyway. Impala, snarled and hit into the dragon backed off._

 _By then the fully-trained slayers had time to regroup, and chains descended on both dragons. John stepped forward, ready to stab a blade into the dragon's flesh._

" _Dad, please!" Sam pleaded, coming out of nowhere and grabbing onto the man, "Please don't hurt her! They aren't all bad! They're only trying to survive…to protect themselves! Imp took us to the cave, and…"_

" _What?!" John exclaimed, then looking around, he ordered, "Keep them restrained, I'll deal with them later!"_

 _And so, John dragged both his sons into a nearby hut and made them explain everything that had happened. When they were done, he was furious._

" _I expect this kind of thing from Sam, but you- "John addressed Dean once they had finished, at a loss for words, he continued, "At least one thing has come from this catastrophe. That dragon out there is our key to the location of the Island. We can rid ourselves of these fiends once and for all."_

" _Dad, no, please!" Dean screamed, reaching out for his father._

 _John pushed him away. "You're no son of mine."_

 _Suddenly Dean felt like the breath had been kicked out of him as he fell to his knees._

 _When Dean finally got his bearing back, he and Sam were forced to watch helpless as Impala was dragged off in chains on a ship to the island. By the time it was almost out of sight, Sam was sitting on the ground, almost in tears, Dean sitting down next to him._

" _This is all my fault." Sam moaned, his voice cracking slightly, "If I hadn't…."_

" _Hadn't what?" Dean challenged, "Hadn't rescued Impala? Hadn't done what you thought was right?" After a moment he added, "Why did you save her?"_

 _Sam paused for a moment, thinking about it, then shook his head. "I…don't know. I was a coward. I couldn't kill her because she looked as scared as I did. When I look at her…I guess I saw myself."_

" _I'm sure Impala's scared now." A voice said._

 _Both boys looked up and saw Jo, one of the girls from training, standing in front of them with a cluster of people Dean recognized as the kids from training. "We can save her. Let us help you."_

" _Why?" Dean asked, "Why would you help us?"_

" _We've watched you during training." Jo, apparently the group's spokesperson, began, "You always handled the dragons differently. Like you knew something about them you didn't. And it turns out, you did. The point, is, we think you're right. Which means we need to stop them."_

 _Dean pushed himself to his feet, then he helped Sam to his feet saying, "Let's get our dragon back." He turned to the others and said, "Okay, here's what we're gonna do."_

 _Grabbing the keys to the cages where the captive dragons were kept, the boys gave the others enough training to get to the job done. Then they were off._

 **Island of The Dragons**

 **A Half Hour Later**

 _By the time the kids and their dragons arrived the place was in flames. It turned out, despite how tough Vikings were, even their best weapons did very little, if anything against the world's largest dragon. Dean and Sam searched for any sign of Impala, and found her struggling against the restraints as the ship went down._

" _Jo!" Dean called out, "Take the others down to help Dad and the soldiers! We're going to get Imp!"_

 _Jo nodded and they all took off towards the battle._

 _Flying down, they leapt off of their dragon and ran to Impala. Grabbing a piece of debris, Dean starting picking the lock._

" _Dean, hurry!" Sam shouted, pulling at the chains, as the water rose._

" _I'm trying!" Dean shouted back, still fiddling with the mechanism._

 _The mechanism finally clicked and Impala opened her wings, shaking chains off. Sam grabbed her neck, murmuring, "I'm sorry, I'm so, so, sorry- "_

" _They'll be time for that later." Dean said, getting on Impala's back, "Now we have to get the big guy."_

" _What?" Sam responded, getting on with him._

" _If we can take him out, the others will be free." Dean reasoned, "The battle will be over."_

 _They flew off, and they saw the others Vikings running to the other side of the island, a few staying behind to directly fight the giant red dragon._

" _Sam, I know you have every scroll memorized." Dean started, "What can you tell me about- "He gestured towards the bemouth, "That?"_

" _Not much." Sam answered, "He's big, so that means his movements are probably slower."_

" _Probably?" Dean balked._

" _Nobody knew for sure this thing existed until a few hours ago." Dean pointed out, "Anyway, it looks like he doesn't have good aim."_

 _Dean looked at the flaming mess and had to agree. It took the giant dragon several times to hit any of the ships and the Vikings on the ground evading his attacks would ease. But soon they would tire and they would not be so lucky after that._

 _Impala flew up to the other dragons and their riders. "Okay, I need you guys to distract the red dragon." Dean instructed, "Try to make quick turns so he can't keep up with your moves. Try to avoid the other dragons. If they attack, defend yourselves, but avoid killing them if possible."_

" _Eyes are sensitive." Sam advised, "So is the area on their bellies."_

" _You heard him." Dean said, "While you do that we're taking down that thing once and for all!"_

 _The trio headed right at the beast, and it let a huge flame out at them. Impala jumped out of the way, but in the process Sam lost his balance, falling off the dragon._

" _Sammy!" Dean shouting, trying to grab onto his brother, but instead fell off himself._

 _Suddenly they splashed as they went into the water, which kept them from breaking every bone in their body, but the shock stopped them from trying to swim to the surface for a few good seconds. When they were able to move again, panic set in, desperately trying to get to the surface._

 _Suddenly Dean was yanked away from Sam and back towards the surface. When he broke the surface of the water, he gasped for air and tried to cough up all the water from his lungs. He was pushed onto the shore and was able to look back in time to see John diving back in for Sam._

 _Dean painted, desperately waiting for the theirs to emerge. When they didn't he was about to go back in himself, when a black torpedo dove into the water. As suddenly as it happened Impala emerged from the water, John and Sam on her back. She pushed him up on shore before flying a short distance away, shaking the water off of her._

 _Both boys were unbelievably happy at the sight, running to get on the dragon when John grabbed Dean's wrist._

" _You don't have to do this." John said quietly. He had been wrong, about everything. He realized that now._

" _Yes, we do." Dean said, pulling away, "We want the fighting to end. This is the only way to this."_

 _John saw there was no convincing them to stop, and he wasn't exactly in a position to stop them himself, so he said, "Dean, Sam, I'm sorry."_

" _I know." Dean replied somberly._

" _I know, too." Sam said, and with that they climbed onto Impala's back with enough grace to make one thing they had been doing it their whole lives, and the trio flew off into the flames._

 _At that time only a few Vikings remained, fighting the dragons forced to fight and keeping the giant red one busy. Everyone was mess, but at least they were all still alive. The fastest among them were taking the brunt of the red dragon's attacks, while the others were giving harder hits once the others had the creature's full attention._

" _Guess we're a little late to the party." Dean whispered._

" _Guys, I think he's starting to tire out!" Jo called to them, seeing this as an opportunity to strike._

 _Impala started to shake under them, still terrified of her monstrous master._

" _It's okay." Sam assured her, gently stroking her spines, "You can do this."_

 _Suddenly Impala shot up into the air, shooting a direct shot of fire at the beast. Suddenly all his attention was focused on the dark-colored dragon. The boys clung on to Impala as tightly as they could as she sped around the island, dodging spays of fire and shrapnel from rocks caught in the crossfire. They had made it away from the other dragons and Vikings who were retreating to a patch of dark rocks branching away from the island. Impala slowed for a moment to gather momentum before rocketing straight up leaving Dean's stomach plummeting. Even after a few rides, he was still terrified of highs._

 _The red dragon screamed in anger, taking a little longer than them to charge upwards._

 _Once they were covered by clouds, Impala moved parallel to the lower could blanket, keeping a distance from the flashes of red light revealing the giant dragon's position._

 _Dean was about to shout to Impala to give direction, but the dragon was already taking a different approach. He flew back at the red dragon, flying behind him before turning on the spot and sending a sharp blast of fire art him._

 _The boys hadn't been expecting a cry of pain from the larger dragon. Impala had made a direct hit. When they were far enough to turn around again, they could see the blood dripping from the dragon's face._

 _Now Impala was swooping forward, getting ready for another attack. The boys thought they could make it, swinging around from the opposite side this time, but the red dragon had anticipated their attack. Impala tried dodging the flame, but it was too close. Dean barely had time to shield Sam before he could feel the fire scorch his skin and smell the hair burning._

 _And then they were falling._

" _The tail piece!" Sam shouted to be heard above the chaos, "It's on fire! It's burning!"_

 _Dean looked to see orange embers dancing on the prosthetic fin. They were screwed._

" _It's okay." Dean whispered to the dragon, "You got this Imp."_

 _The dragon nodded and focused on controlling their fall. They broke from the covers of the clouds only to see the red dragon still chasing them._

 _Impala turned so they were facing the dragon with their backs quickly approaching the ground._

" _Not yet!" Dean shouted._

 _The red dragon steadily gained on them, preparing to send another wave of flames. The boys waited until he was only yards away._

" _Now!" Dean shouted._

 _Impala sent a carefully aimed bolt of flame into the red dragon's face right as he let out a roar. While Dean covered Sam's face but watched with sick fascination as the flames encompassed the dragon's face, trailing into his eyes and mouth and even traveling to his body._

 _The dragon managed to let out a finally bolt of flame. When his body collapsed, it caused a large explosion, the force hitting them and causing Dean to lose his grip._

 _He saw the flames chasing them through the air, Impala desperately plumping her huge, black wings to try to reach Dean. Dean wondered if it would hurt when he hit the ground, then his vision went dark and he lost consciousness._

 _John rushed across the island to where he had saw the dragon fall. He knew the others were fallowing but he didn't care. Had to know if his sons were okay._

 _He found the dragon lying in a heap, large wings covering her body as if to protect herself. She groaned, turning onto her side without moving her wings. John could see that mechanical fin that Sam had, had made was badly signed and most likely why they had fallen. The dragon opened her wings and Sam fell out._

" _Sam!" John shouted running over to the boy and looking him over. He seemed to be unharmed, but why did he seem so out of it? And where was Dean?_

 _Realizing what must have happened, John fell to his knees. "Son…I'm so sorry." He whispered, equally to Sam and Dean, knowing this was his fault. If he had just listened to them…_

 _The dragon moved again, opening the other wing, and an older boy fell out._

" _Dean!" John shouted, grabbing the boy's body and placing an ear to his chest. It was weak, barely there, but there was a heartbeat._

" _He's alive!" John shouted joyfully, "You brought them both back alive!"_

 _The revelation brought cheers from all the Vikings and happy roars from the dragons._

 _Impala was staring down at the family with large dark eyes._

 _John looked up at her. "Thank you for bringing my sons back."_

" _Well, what's left of them." John heard Bobby comment._

 **The Village of Lawrence**

 **Five Months Later**

" _Come on, Dean!" Sam called out, running ahead of them, "The others are waiting for us!"_

" _I'm going as fast as I can, Sam." Dean responded, following after his brother._

 _A lot had changed in the village during the last five months. Now, all the students that had been training to kill dragons, were training to ride them. With Sam and Impala leading the classes. Even some of the adults were learning._

 _During that time, Dean had been also learning. Learning how to use his new leg. He still didn't feel right, but Sam thought maybe getting back on Impala would help._

 _They arrived at the shore where the group was waiting for them, Impala in the front._

" _Took you long enough." Jo commented, as they walked past her and her green dragon._

 _They walked up to Impala who lowered her body so they could get on. Sam leapt on and after situating himself, held his hand out to Dean, who took it, getting on their dragon and getting himself situated as well._

 _And with that, they were off._

 **The Valley Outside the Village of Lawrence**

 **Present Day**

"Well, kid," Dean admitted, "That is impressive."

"Yeah, it really is." Sam added, "Sorry, but we really have to go."

"Alright." The teenager Dean said, starting back towards his brother and their dragon, "Good luck with your journey."

Dean and Sam walked into they were out of sight of the other pair, then sat their stuff down and quickly assembled the spell.

"You wanna do it this time?" Dean asked.

"Sure," Sam replied, "Why not?" He took the book from Dean and read, "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind blew the grass and once again, they were engulfed in bright light, taking them away from the universe.


	118. An Awkward Situation

They came to in a rather cramped motel bathroom, immediately greeted by the sound of that universe's Sam screaming, "What the Hell were you two thinking?!"

"Sam, we're both consenting adults." Dean's voice calmly argued.

They peaked out, and saw and woman with long inky black hair slipping on a pink kimono while Sam was yelling, "She's barely been human a few months! This is basically cradle robbing!"

"Oh, no." Dean whispered, "Not this again."

"I don't think that's what happening now, Dean." Sam replied, catching on, "Look at her eyes."

"What?" Dean balked, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"They're the wrong color." Sam explained.

Indeed, at first Dean assumed that this was another female-Castiel-and-him situation, but where Cas had dark blue peepers, this girl had orbs that were _yellow,_ of all colors remisent of a set of headlights.

"Boys." The girl spoke up, "I don't think we're alone anymore."

Sam walked over and threw the door open revealing their parallel universe counterparts.

"Before anyone does anything," Sam began, "Let us explain. We're you, from another universe, we were hunting this witch and she sent us to another universe, and we're just trying to get back home."

The trio exchanged looks. "And you thought home was our motel's bathroom?" The Dean of that universe asked.

"No." Dean replied, "We just can't control where we land."

"But you can land." The Dean of that universe asked, "You don't need any help, or- "

"Do you really want to help, or do you just want to get out of this?" The Sam of that universe asked.

"A little both." The Dean of that universe admitted.

"What is going on here, anyway?" Dean asked.

"Well, basically," Sam began, "This one slept with our car."


	119. A Complicated Situation

AN: Special thanks to Ortus Nox for this request. Sorry I didn't put it last time.

 **Midnight, Utah**

 **Three Months Ago**

" _Come on, let's got." Dean said, cocking his gun before putting in his pants as he headed out the door._

 _They were had been investigating a series of strange deaths in the town, and traced down to witch with a score to settle. They had identified her and were on their way to deal with it._

 _At least they were until they got out into the parking lot and saw something that made them both freeze._

 _The Impala was gone, and in its place, was a petite young woman, completely necked, looking around, scared and confused. Her eyes landed on the boys and her face lit up. "Sam!" She shouted, getting to her feet, "Dean!" She ran to the men, hitting Dean with a thud._

" _Wow, there, lady." Dean said, pulling back, "Do we know you?"_

" _I don't know." The young admitted, "I think you do. I don't know how, but I know I know you._

" _Okay," Dean said slowly, uneasy about everything that was going on, "And you are?"_

" _I- "The young woman tumbled, "I don't know."_

 _Both boy's heart plummeted. "Okay," Sam said slowly, "What's the last thing you remember?"_

 _The woman thought for a moment then said, "I woke up here, and there was this woman standing over me, she was blonde, and pretty, in a red dress. She told me to stay here until someone came for me. When she walked off she was laughing, something about seeing the look on someone's faces."_

 _Dean was suddenly field with rage. "Unbelievable." He seethed, "This bitch steals my baby, then mind-wipes some poor woman and leaves her here, this is not gonna stand…"_

" _Dean, I don't think that's what happened." Sam said, after noticing something, "Look at that tattoo."_

 _Dean's eyes went down to a tattoo on the young woman's abdomen. It looked like a toy army man._

" _Like the one I stuffed in the ashtray when I was a kid." Sam reminded him, "And that's not the only weird tat, look."_

 _Near the young woman's neck was a tattoo of what looks like some kind of blocks, and on one of her shoulders, most disturbingly of all, were the boys' initials._

" _I think this might actuatable be our car." Sam finished._

 **Las Vegas, Nevada**

 **Two Weeks Later**

 _Sam and Dean kicked down the door of the apartment, where a startled-looking witch sprung from the couch. "Damn." She seethed, "I thought I lost you two."_

" _Gotta admit, it was a little harder without a permanent set of wheels." Dean commented._

 _For the past few weeks the boys had been forced to rent, and on occasions steal, cars to get from place to place as they tracked the witch, with their newfound companion in tow. That was also a complication that slowed them down. Baby, as they were still calling her, knew next to nothing about the world, and needed constant help and supervision._

" _Ah, yes, how is your new friend, by way?" The witch asked._

" _She'll be better when we get her back to normal." Dean responded, still aiming his gun at the witch._

" _Excuse me?" The witch replied._

" _You heard me." Dean said, "You're gonna turn Baby back into a car, or we are going to kill you."_

" _She's not your car, anymore." The witch protested, "She's sentient being now, she can't just go back. She has a right to live!"_

" _You're lecturing us on morality?" Dean questioned, "You, the woman who killed people over petty grudges and turned her into a sentient being in the first place?"_

" _Don't complicate the matter with fact!" The witch commanded, "The point is, that girl is the closest thing you'll find to a true innocent and I refuse to kill her just because you tell me to!"_

 _Dean realized that, while evil, the witch still had a point. "I suppose you're right." He admitted._

" _She is?" Sam asked._

" _Yeah." Dean confirmed, "And it frees us up to do this." Dean fired the gun, hitting the witch right between the eyes, and she fell to the ground, dead._

" _Dean!" Sam shouted._

" _Well, we were going to do that anyway!" Dean protested, "Let's just clean this up and go check on our girl."_

 _When they got back to the hotel, Baby was sitting on her edge her bed, raising her head as the door opened._

 _Dean was immediately greeted by a weight running at his chest, embracing him. "Hey, there, Baby."_

" _Are you alright?" Baby asked as she threw her arms around Sam._

" _Yeah." Sam answered, "We got her."_

 _Baby broke the embrace. "You mean the witch that did this to me?"_

 _Both boys nodded._

" _Then…then why am I still like this?" Baby asked._

" _Because she didn't change you back." Dean explained, "Which is a good thing."_

" _It is?" Baby asked._

" _Hell yeah," Dean declared, "You're your own person now."_

" _What does that mean?" Baby asked._

" _We'll help you figure it out." Dean said, "I promise."_

 **Lebanon Kansas**

 **A Month Later**

 _Baby fired the gun at the target, hitting the figure almost exactly in the chest._

" _Good job." Dean praised from behind her, "You get better every time."_

" _Thank you." Baby said, turning around, "And thank you so much for teaching me."_

" _Well, these are things you need to know if you're going to keep riding with us." Dean replied._

 _Dean had been teaching Baby everything he knew about hunting. It had been a little touch and go at first but she was getting the hang of it. Not that he was ready to let her run into battle on her own. In fact, he was actually rather protective of her._

" _You're still way too good to me." Baby insisted, "And not just when it comes to training."_

 _Suddenly Dean felt her slender hand slip into his._

" _It's nothing, really." Dean insisted, "You've got us through a lot, I mean, back when you were a car, as weird as that sounds. This is just my way of returning the favor."_

 _Just then there was the sound of someone e clearing their throat behind him, causing them to turn around and see Sam._

" _Hey, Sam." Dean said, letting go of Baby's hand, "We just finishing up shooting practice. She's getting pretty good."_

" _Yeah, I see that." Sam replied._

" _Well, I'm gonna go, clean up." Baby said awkwardly, slipping away._

" _Okay, see you later." Dean said, waving to her awkwardly, then when he saw Sam staring at him addressed them, "What?"_

" _Just don't do anything stupid, Dean." Sam warned him, "Pease."_

 **Somewhere, Kansas**

 **A Week**

 _It was just supposed to be a simple salt and burn job._

 _Sam had found a case about a guy apparently choked to death in his locked home. At first, they didn't have any leads until they found out the widow's first husband also died of affixation. After some more digging they found out that unknown to either the woman or her first husband, the victim had an unhealthy filiation with her. It didn't take much to put it all together._

 _Apparently despite the woman being clueless, the fact that she had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker, put the widow on husband number one's hit list, so the unlucky women was currently sitting in a salt circle with Sam while Dean and Baby burned the bones._

 _Dean was about to light the fire when suddenly he felt his throat closing up cutting off his airway. He fell to the ground, too weak to stand anymore._

 _Baby immediately aimed her rifle looking around. "Show yourself!"_

 _Suddenly, a man dressed in jeans and a red polo shirt appeared before her._

" _We know what happened to you." Baby stammered, "We know it was wrong, and you were denied justice. But you got it. Your wife didn't know anything about it, and certainly Dean didn't know. You can stop now."_

" _How could she not know?" The ghost seethed, "As for your friend-sorry, that's just self-defense. Nothing personal."_

" _Neither is this." Baby said, before firing the riffle, causing the ghost to evaporate. She then quickly grabbed the light and threw it at the bones, sitting them ablaze._

 _Once that was done, she ran over to Dean, who was still on the ground, but able to breathe again. "Are you alright?" She asked franticly._

" _Yeah." Dean breathed, "You did good, kid."_

 _Suddenly, Baby lunged out, forcing her lips onto Dean, who pulled back. "What the Hell was that?!"_

" _I'm sorry!" Baby responded, "But I've been wanting to do that for a long time!" The she flinched, fearing she had miscalculated what was happening between them._

" _You know what?" Dean said, "I think I have too." The he kissed her back, passionately._

 **Little Rock, Arkansas**

 **Present Day**

"We had just finished up a case and decided it was time to finally…consummate, the relationship." Dean finished awkwardly.

"They were asleep when I walked in on them." Sam added.

"Yes, and now that we've all been incredibly humiliated." Baby began, "Can you please go so we can handle this like adult?"

 _I don't think there's much chance of that happening._ Sam thought, but out loud, he said, "Sure."

They quickly gathered their ingredients as the trio watched, then Dean read, ""Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind picked up, blowing the curtains the sheets and part of Baby's kimono, then they left the group to deal with the situation on their own.


	120. Pirate Zombies

**AN: Special thanks to ReneeFury for this request!**

They came to find chaos all around them.

They were at a port of some sort, and there was a battle going on, swords swishing and guns firing. However, what stood out the most was the make-up of the battle. While half of the men were human, the other half were grey, decaying zombie creatures.

They caught site of Dean, dressed in period-era clothing, as he was stabbed by one of the zombies. Dean reeled back and the moonlight caught him, and he turned grey and boney as well.

"What the Hell?!" That's universe's Sam called out from where he was fighting one of the zombies, "You're cursed too?!"


	121. Curse Of The Black Pearl: Part One

**AN: Real life kind of got in the way this week, so what was going to be one chapter is now going to be at least two, and this sort of cuts off in a weird spot. Sorry.**

 **Port Royal, Jamaica**

 **Ten Years Earlier**

 _Governor Weatherby Moore eyed his daughter nervously as she leaned on the side of the ship, singing, "We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot. Drink me hearties yo ho! We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot. Drink up me hearties yo ho! Your ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack Drink up- "The young girl was startled by someone grabbing her shoulder._

" _Quiet, missy!" Her attacker warned, "Cursed pirates sail these waters." You don't want to bring them down on us, do ya?"_

" _Mr. Singer, that will do!" Luteinent Castiel Norrington called out._

 _Knowing Castiel outranked him, Singer said in his defense, "The idjit girl was singing about pirates. Bad luck to be singing about pirates with us mired in this unnatural fog. Mark my words."_

 _Castiel chuckled to himself. He knew Robert Singer was superstius man, "Consider them marked. On your way."_

" _Aye, Lieutenant." He looked at the young blonder and grunted. He walked away, pulling out his canteen pouch of brandy and make sure no one was looking before he drank it, mumbling to himself, "It's bad luck to have a woman on board, too…even a miniature one."_

" _I think it'd be rather exciting to meet a pirate." Jessica said, ignoring the criticism._

 _Castiel smiled at the foolishness. "Think again, Miss Moore. Vile and dissolute creatures, the lot of them. I intend to see to it that any man who sails under a pirate flag gets what he deserves-a short drop and a sudden stop."_

 _Jessica did not understand what that mean. She then saw Bobby pretending to hang himself and she shuttered with fright._

 _The Governor saw this and stepped in. "Lieutenant Norrington, I appreciate your fervor, but I'm, uh, I'm concerned about the effect this subject will; have on my daughter."_

 _Not meaning to start anything, Castiel said, "My Apologies, Governor Moore." He then walked away to let them deal with the family matter._

" _Actually, I find it all fascinating." Jessica informed her father._

" _Yes." The Governor replied, "That's what concerns me."_

 _Jessica sighed then turned back to the water, where she saw a parasol floating. But then something much more sinister caught her eye. It was a young boy, about her age, on a piece of wreckage floating towards him, causing her to immediately sound the alarm, "Look! A boy! There's a boy in the water!"_

 _The rest of the crew saw the boy as well._

" _Man overboard!" Lieu tent Norrington yelled, then got the crew to assemble to rescue the boy. "Man, the ropes. Fetch a Hook! Haul him aboard."_

 _The crew brought the boy to deck and laid him there. Castiel checked his pulse by putting two fingers on his neck and felt a heartbeat. "He's still breathing."_

 _Bobby looked up with a horrified look on his face, exclaiming, "Mary. Mother of God!"_

 _Castiel and the crew looked and saw immediately what had him so stunned. There was a brining ship, still in flames, and it seemed that something or someone caused the fire._

 _The Governor obvious wanted to know what happened, asking gravely, "What happened here?"_

 _Castiel didn't want to start a panic on the ship, so he calmly said, "It's most likely the powder magazine. Merchant vessels run heavily armed."_

 _Bobby wasn't buying it and knew what really happened. "A lot of good it did them. Everyone's thinking it. I'm just saying it. Pirates."_

 _The Governor, however, had a hard time believing that and said, "There's no proof of that. It was probably an accident."_

 _Jessica, however, was focused on the brown-hair boy they had pulled out of the water. One of the sailors picked him up and pit home on a table. Castiel wanted to check to see if there were any survivors and yelled his orders. "Rouse the Captain immediately! Heave yo and take in sail Launch the boats."_

 _Seeing an opportunity to keep his daughter's mind off pirates, the governor walked over to her and sad, "Jessica, I want you to accompany the boy. He'll be in your charge. Take care of him."_

 _Jessica nodded her head and walked towards the young boy. She noticed a strand of his hair covered his face partially. She tried to move the stands but the boy woke up and grabbed her wrist, frightened of where he was._

" _It's alright." She whispered reassuringly, "My name's Jessica Moore."_

 _The boy was still shivering from the freezing cold sea. He looked into the girl's eyes and knew she meant no harm. "S-S-Sam Winchester."_

 _The blonde continued to slime and whispered, "I'm watching over you, Sam."  
Sam closed his eyes again. That was when Jessica saw a gold chain around his next. Curiosity overwhelming her, she lifted the chain, revealing it to be attached to a golden medallion with skull wearing an evil grin. Knowing what this meant Jessica muttered to herself. "You're a pirate"_

 _She was then startled by the Lieutenant as he asked, "Has he said anything?"_

 _Jessica turned around and the medallion behind her back so that Sam was safe from hanging. "His name is Samuel Winchester. That's all I found out."_

 _Casitel sighed before looking to the sailors and ordered, "Take him below."_

 _When they had taken Sam for food and water, and she was alone, Jessica looked at the medallion closely and saw glowing sails. The prate flag blew across the wind. She closed her eyes. She had actually met pirate._

 **Port Royal, England**

 **Ten Years Later**

 _Castiel Norrington's promotion ceremony was going smoothly as one of the navy officers yelled, "Two paces march! Right about face! Present arms!"_

 _The officers presented their swords in an x-formation and Casitel was walking down the aisle. Then he unsheathed his new sword and marched towards his promotions. From the audience, a now grown-up Jessica Moore was fanning wishing for the ceremony to be over. The new corset her father had bought her was cutting off her breathing._

 _After the ceremony finally ended, the new Commodore Castiel Norrington spotted Jessica all by herself and walked over to her. "May I have a moment?" He asked._

 _Jessica nodded, wondering what the Commodore could possibly want with her._

 _Both of them stepped onto the platform, Jessica continuing to lose air from the correst. Castiel blushed lightly as he said, "Uh, you look lovely, Jessica."_

 _Jessica chuckled softly and half-heartedly. She wished Sam, who she was still in contact with and was in fact good friends with, would say that to her. She was also wishing her corset wasn't so tight._

 _Castiel looked to sea, continuing to speak, "I, uh, apologize if I seem forward, but I…must speak my mind. Uh…a marriage to fine woman," unable to suddenly form a complete sentence, he looked to Jessica, hoping she was seeing where this was going. "You have become a fie woman, Jessica."_

 _Jessica couldn't believe that Castiel had just propose to her, but she was having a hard time understanding anything because of the corset crushing her lungs. "I can't breathe" She gasped as her eyelids became heavy._

 _Thinking she was being emotional, Castiel replied, "Yes, I…I'm a bit nervous myself."_

 _However, just then Jessica fell over the battlement into the deep blue sea._

 _Meanwhile, a tawny-haired man was telling a story to the two guards left on the dock whist the ceremony was going on." …and then they made me their chief."_

 _The three of them heard a splash and turned their heads around to see a blonde woman in a pink dress felling into the waters._

 _Castiel was looking around to see where Jessica had gone. "Jessica?" He called out. Then he looked down and saw the white waves formed around the dagger-like rocks. "Jessica!" He yelled, thinking the woman he cared about was dead. "My God." He muttered taking off his jacket._

 _A Lieutenant saw this and stopped the Commodore from risking his life, saying, "The rocks! Sir, it's a miracle she missed them."_

 _The tawny-haired man asked one of the guards, "Will you be saving her, then?"_

" _I can't swim." One of the guards replied. He then glanced to his comrade, who shook his head sideways._

 _They're roughish companion rolled his eyes. He then took off his had and coat, handing them to the guard and with annoyance commented, "Pride of the navy, you are." Then he handed his affects to the other guard, ordering, "Do not lost those. He then dove into the water to save the girl, hoping she was worth it._

 _When Jessica was slowly falling into the deep sea, the medallion, which she had kept on her all these years, came out of her dress and made an invisible wave through the entire sea, as if calling out to something._

 _One guard looked to the other asking, "What was that?"_

 _The swimmer saw the blonder and pulled her up to the surface, but failed. He then realized the dress was holding her down and managed to pull it off her and tried to head towards the surface one more. Both of them headed towards the dock and the guards saw them coming in._

 _One of the guards grabbed Jessica's body saying, "Ooh, I got her." They put Jessica flat on her back and noticed something horrifying._

" _She's not breathing!" Yelled the other guard as he checked for her pulse._

 _The heroic rouge, knowing what the problem was yelled, "Move!" shoving the guard aside. He then got his dagger out, and cut through the middle of the corset. Jessica than began spitting out sea water._

 _The rough handed the corset to one of the guards as the maiden was gassing for air. "Never would've thought of that." The guard commented,_

" _Clearly you've never been to Singapore. "The rouge responded, then he saw the medallion around the girl's neck, and was surprised and somewhat alarmed to find he recognized it. He took it off her and looked at her, thinking aloud, "Where did you get that?"_

 _Before Jessica could answer, the navy was surrpinding her rescuer, with serval pistols aiming at her. "This is the thanks I get for saving her life?" The man complained, raising his hands in the air._

 _Just then Governor born got to the front and saw his daughter in nothing put her underdress. "Jessica. Are you alright?" He asked as he helped his daughter up._

 _As a towel was wrapped around her, Jessica answered, "Yes, I'm fine."_

 _The Governor then saw the guard holding the torn corset and said guard immediately dropped it, pointing to the tawny-haired man._

 _Furious, the Governor shouted, "Shoot him!"_

 _Jessica was not going to let this man die, yelling, "Father!" She then turned to look at Castiel and asked, "Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?"_

 _Casitle looked at Jessica and had an idea of how to get to the bottom of this. He then put his sword in his sheath, put his hand out, and said, "I believe thanks are in order."_

 _The twant-haired man was somewhat hesitant, but reached for the other man's hand. Casitel grabbed his hand, pulled up his sleeve, and saw the P branded on his arm. Castile smirked, saying, "Has a brush with the East India Trading company, did we, pirate?"_

 _The Govender was even more furious now, demanding, "Hang him."_

" _Keep your guns on him, men." Ordered the Commodore, "Lutetient, fetch some irons." Castiel pulled the sleeve up some more and saw a tattoo of a crown with a sapphire Dimond in the middle. Castiel know only one pirate that hand such a tattoo, "Well, well…Dean Weston, isn't it?"_

 _Dean was getting tired of not being called Captain. "Captain Dean Weston, if you please, sir."_

 _Castiel was still smirking as he said, "Well, I don't see your ship…Captain."_

" _I'm in the market as it were." Dean replied._

" _He said he'd come to commandeer one." One of the guards spoke up._

" _Told ya he was telling the truth." His companion told him. Then he handed the effects to Castiel saying, "These are his, sir."_

 _Castiel looked at Dean's pistol and stated, "No additional shots nor powder." He then looked at his compass which had no markings, "A compass that doesn't point north." He then unsheathed his prisoner's sword, smirked and said, "And I half expected it to be made of wood." Sheathing the sword back and said in a disappointing tome, "You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of. But not in your brutality. In your incompetence."_

" _But you have heard of me." Dean replied with a sly grin._

 _As Dean was pulled by the Lutein to be put in chains Jessica couldn't let him be punished for saving her life. "Commodore, I really must protest."_

 _Castiel appeared to be ignoring her. "Careful, Lieutenant."_

" _Pirate or not this man saved my life." Jessica continued, demanding to be heard._

" _One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness." Castiel reasoned.,_

" _Though it seems enough to condemn him." Dean accused._

 _Castile frowned, saying, "Indeed."_

 _As the Lutenin pulled back Dean saw an opportunity to escape. "Finally." Said the pirate as he threw his chains around Jessica's neck._

 _Jessica caught the chains but they were still holding her captive._

 _Scared for his daughter, the Governor ordered, "No, don't shoot!"_

 _Dean smirked and whispered in Jessica's here, "I knew you'd warm up to me."_

 _It dawned on Jessica he had planned this ahead._

" _Commodore Northington, my effects please, and my hat." Dean requested in a bargaining town._

 _Castiel didn't want to let Dean go, but he didn't want Jessica to be hurt._

" _Commodore!" Shouted the pirate as he looked back to Jessica and then back to Castiel._

 _Castiel didn't have a choice so he motioned to one of his guards to hand over Dean's effects._

" _Jessica?" Dean whispered into her ear, "It is, Jessica, isn't it?"_

" _It's Miss Moore." Jessica said, enraged that Dean had taken her hostage after she tried to save him._

 _Dean rolled his eyes and said, "Well, Miss Moore, if you'd be so kind. Come, come, dear. We don't have all day."_

 _The guard handed Dean's effects to Jessica. Dean turned turned her around and pointed the pistol at her head, saying, "Now, if you'd be very kind,"_

 _Jessica scowled and pit the hat on grist the strapped his sword around his waist. Feeling his captive getting a little rough, he said, "Easy on the goods, darling."_

 _Jessica finished dressing Dean and said with an icy tone and a scowl, "You're despicable."_

" _Sticks and stones, love." Dean replied, "I saved your life, you save mine, we're square." He turned Jessica around and said, "Gentlemen, m'lady, you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Dean Weston!"_

 _He then removed the chains from Jessica's neck and pushed her into the Commodore, the Governor, and Castiels' men. He then kicked the stepped leaver and grabbed onto the rope. He was then pulled up and was spinning around on a wooden pole with the rope attached to it._

 _Getting annoyed on top of everything else, the Governor yelled, "Now, will you shoot him?"_

 _Castiel didn't hesitate and yelled, "Open fire!"_

 _Casitel's men fired at the pirate._

 _Dean yelled as he ran for it. So, to speak._

" _On his heels!" Yelled the Commodore as he followed the pirate._

 _Dean saw a rope that would lead him down on the dock and threw his chains around the rope._

 _Castiel looked at the Luteinent. "Mr. Weston has a dawn appointment will the gallows. I would hate for him to miss it." The soldiers starting looking high and low for Dean while the pirate hid himself behind a statue and peaked his head out to see if the coast was clear._

 _He came out of his hiding spot and saw a group of soldiers heading that way saying, "Search upstairs. Look lively, mend."_

 _Dean quickly hurried into a blacksmith's building. He closed the door behind him and started looking for a way to get free. He started gong trough the tools, then he heard a bottle drop. He turned to find old man drunk and sleeping. He tapped the old man on the should and he only moved a little but not enough to wake up. Dean yelled "Whoa!" When the drunk didn't wake up Dean walked away yo see if he could break free of his chains._

 _Dean gravved a hammer and pounded on the chains. He then moved the chains around to see if he was lose, but all it had done was batter the chain. He then saw some sorry of strange metal machine. He was able to us it to break the chains. He smiled at himself, but his savoring of the moment was cut short by the sound of the door opening so he quickly hid himself._

 _Sam came through the door and saw that his machine was working. He ran over to it and tried to turn it off. He heard the news that Jessica had been threatened by a pirate, so he was somewhat on edge. He then noticed some tools had been tossed about. He started to fix them, then eyed his drunken master and commented, "Right where I left you."_

 _Sam then saw his hammer out, and knew he didn't leave it there, commenting, "Not right where I left you." He then noticed a strange hat. He tried to reach out for it, but was stopped by a blade. He saw a tawny-haired man with green eyes and immediately knew who this was. "You're the one they're hunting. The pirate."_

 _Dean looked at the boy and realized something about him was familiar, but he couldn't place his finger on it. "You seem somewhat familiar. Have I threatened you before?"_

 _Sam made a dark scowl. "I make a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates."_

 _Dean decided he just wanted to get away from the boy. "Ah, well, then it would be a shame to put a black mark on your record. So, if you'll excuse me…"_

 _As Dean turned around, Sam grabbed a sword and pointed it at the pirate. Dean turned around to face him. "Do you think this wise boy—crossing blades with a pirate?"_

 _Sam's eyes darkened with anger as did his scowl. "You threatened Miss Moore."_

 _How did this woman inspire such worship in so many men? Dean touched Sam's blade with his. "Only a little." He replied with a smirk._

 _And so, the two began to fight. Dean found that his younger opponent was quite skilled. "You know what you're doing, I'll give you that." Dean complimented in a stern voice. He found himself wanting to test the boy. "But how's your footwork?"_

 _They both moved their feet, and Dean continued to talk, as if instructing the boy. "If I step here," He moved his left feet and they began to parry once more. "Very good. Now I step again." They both continued to parry their feet._

 _Dean was done playing with the boy and said with a smirk. "Ta." Dean sheathed his sword and was heading for the exit._

 _Thinking fast, Sam threw his sword at the door, nearly hitting Dean in the face._

 _Dean looked at the sword in surprise then tried to pull the sword out, but it was stuck. He tried to pull it out again, and again failed, as Sam smirked with satisfaction. Dean then turned and said, annoyed, "That is a wonderful trick…except, once again, you are between me and my way out." He unsheathed his sword and declared with a smirk, "And now you have no weapon._

 _Sam grabbed another sword, this one with a heated tip._

" _Are you kidding me?!" Dean exclaimed._

 _Doing the only thing he could think of, Dean headed to the machine for defense._

 _As the parried continuously, Dean noticed all the swords along the wall. "Who makes all these?"_

 _Now it was Sam's turn to smirk. "I do!" He then blocked Dean's attack, saying, "And I practice with them…three hours a day!"_

 _Sam couldn't help but smirk, saying, "You need to get yourself a girl, mate!" Dean dogged Sam's blow and Sam blocked Dean's attack by holding the sword sideways in the air with both hands. "Or perhaps the reason you practice three hours a day is that you already found one and are otherwise incapable of wooing said stupent. "Dean then frown and asked, "You're not a eunuch, are you?"_

 _Sam was getting angry and annoyed at the same time. "I practice three hours a day so that when I meet a pirate, I can kill it!"_

 _The swordfight became even more intense as they jumped onto a cart. They were thrown off-balanced and San grabbed onto the hilt of nearby knife. He hooked it into the chains still on his left wrist and threw it up so it was embattled in the beam above. Dean in return hit the board lose and threw Sam off the cart. Dean used his body weight to remove the knife. Sam climbed onto the cart again and as he did so Dean fell down from the cart, losing the knife. Sam was thrown into the rafters in the process. Dean looked around for his opponent then looked up and smiled slyly, seeing a way out._

 _However, Sam used his sword to cut a heavy sack which sent Dean into the rafters with him._

 _Dean grabbed a wooden beam, wishing the boy would just let up. He then pulled himself up and tried to get on the same beam. Finally, they got on the same beam and continued their sword fight. Sam then had the upper hand and disarmed the pirate. Dean jumped off the beam and landed in the fireplace. Sam followed the pirate and Dean blinded him with Sam._

 _Sam grabbed an ax only to find the pirate pointing a pistol at him._

" _You cheated!" Sam protested._

" _Pirate!" Dean reminded him._

 _That was when they both heard the navy kicking down the door._

 _Dean saw an exit in the back and saw looked in the direction he was looking. Sam blocked the pirate's way and Dean ordered, "Move away."_

 _Sam was not going to let him go. "No."_

 _Getting more desperate, Dean pleaded, "Please move."_

" _No!" Sam yelled, "I cannot step aside, and I cannot let you escape!"_

 _Dean didn't want to do this. He cocked his pistol and said in a serious tone, "This shot is not meant for you."_

 _Sam wondered who the shot was meant for, but before he could ask, they heard the sound of glass breaking._

 _Dean had been hit on the head with a bottle by Sam's acholic master._

 _Just then the navy burst in with their rifles aimed at Sean and Castiel looked at the blacksmith and said, "Excellent work, Mr. Brown. You've assisted in the capture of a dangerous fugitive."_

 _Mr. Brown looked up at the Commodore and said in a kiss-up tone, "Just doing my civic duty, sir."_

 _Sam rolled his eyes. This was the second time in one this man had taken credit for work he had done. Sure, he might have finally got the guy, but it was Sam that had done wall the work._

 _Castiel smirked. "Well, I trust you will always remember this as the day that Captain Dean Weston almost escaped. Take him away."_

 _The navy took the pirate away, leaving a frustrated blacksmith._


	122. Curse Of The Black Pearl: Part Two

**Port Royal Jail**

 **A Few Hours Later**

 _While in prison, two men in the cell next to him were whistling and waving a bone to a dog that had the cell keys in his mouth for some reason. "Come here, boy. Want a nice, juicy bone? Come here. Come on._

 _Dean was getting annoyed and said, "You can keep going on forever, the dog is never going to move._

 _One of the men whirled around and said, "Oh, excuse us if we haven't resigned ourselves to the gallows just yet."_

 _Dean smirked, leaning on the back of the wall and took a nap._

 _Back at the Governor's mansion, Jessica was getting ready for bed, one of her maids getting a warming pan ready. She put it between the sheets and said, "There you go, Miss." She then tucked in the sheets, saying, "It was a difficult day for you, I'm sure."_

 _Jessica smiled as she stopped what she was doing, "I suspected Commodore Norington would propose, but I must admit, I wasn't entirely prepared for it."_

 _The maid, however, was not talking about the prosomal. "Well, I meant you were threatened by that pirate. Sounds terrifying."_

 _Jessica blushed slightly, and lied, "Oh, yes, it was terrifying." She wasn't afraid of Dean Weston considering she had already met a pirate, ten years ago, even if it had been a baby one. She had been angrier today, than anything._

 _The maid then changed the subject. "But the Commodore proposed. Fancy that. Now, that's a smart match, Miss, if it's not too bold to say."_

 _Jessica sighed. "It's a smart match. He's a fine man; he's what any woman would dream of marrying." It was true that every woman wanted to be Castiel's wife, but Castiel only wanted Jessica. But she still could only think about Sam._

 _Sensing this, the maid said in a caring tone, "Well, that Sam Winchester, he's a fine man, too."_

 _Suddenly Jessica felt a mix of jealously and anger. "That s too bold."_

" _Well, begging your pardon, Miss. It was not my place." The maid apologized before leaving._

 _At the Fort, Governor Moore and Commodore Norrington were talking about the day's events. "Has my daughter given you an answer yet?" The Governor asked with a hopeful smile._

 _Castiel smiled back. "No, she hasn't."_

 _The fog was becoming thicker by the second._

" _Well, she has had a very trying day." The Governor reasoned, "Ghastly weather, don't you think?"_

 _Castiel did think the weather was odd and said, "Bleak. Very bleak."_

 _Just then there was a hurling sound. "What's that?" The Governor asked._

 _Smith heard the sound and recognized it. "Cannon fire!" He yelled, talking the Governor._

 _The cannon hit the fort and Castiel yelled, "Return fire!"_

 _Back in the jail cell, Dean heard the cannons. "I know those guns." He announced in astonishment. He looked through the little window and saw a ship with glowing sail. "It's the Black Pearl."_

 _One of the men became instantly panicked at hearing the ship's name. "The Black Pearl? I've heard stories. She's been preying on ships and settlements for near ten years. Never leaves any survivors."_

 _Dean grinned slyly, laughed and said, "No survivors? Then where do the stories come from, I wonder?"_

 _Both of the men looked at each other and shrugged._

 _The Black Pearl's guns kept continuing to destroy the battlements. The pirates were now coming ashore in their boats, causing chaos and mayhem when that reached the sword._

 _Sam got his sword and a hatchet and went into the night. He saw a crazed pirate following a maid. Sam through the hatchet at the pirate and he fell down in pain._

 _Back at the Fort, Castiel and his men were doing everything in their powers to keep the pirates at bay. The Commodore was ordering his men, "Sight the muzzle flash!"_

 _One of his soldiers yelled, "Aim for the flashes!"_

 _Castiel was not going to lose to these devils. "I need a full strike, fore and aft! Let these demons bite at this!"_

 _The Fort's cannons were firing in the same direction if the Black Pearl. Castiel looked at the Governor and demanded, "Governor, barricade yourself in my office." A cannon ball hit the Fort's wall, starling the Governor. "That's an order!" Castiel added._

 _Jessica heard banging on the door and saw a servant going to answer it._

" _Don't!" Jessica yelled, but it was too late. The pirate at the door grinned saying, "Hello, chum," then he shot the servant between the eyes. The pirates swarmed the mansion and then the pirate that shot the servant saw Jessica. "Up there!"_

" _Girl!" Two of the pirates yelled._

 _Jessica ran upstairs, went into the chamber room, and locked the door. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to find the maid she had snapped at. "Miss Moore, they've come to kidnap you."_

 _Jessica was having trouble processing. "What?"_

" _You're the Governor's daughter." The maid explained._

 _They saw the door being pinned down and Jessica knew she had to come up with a plan. "They haven't seen you." She said, looking to the maid, "Hide, and the first chance you get, run to the fort."_

 _When the pirate got in, Jessica hit him with the warming pan. The maid saw the opportunity and ran to warn the Governor._

 _Jessica tried to get away but another pirate got a hold on the warming. "Gotcha!"_

 _Jessica scowled and released the ashes from the pan._

 _The pirate was yelping in pain. "It's hot! You burned me!"_

 _Jessica was confused because he wasn't on fire but she took off to get away from them. The first pirate slapped the second on the back of the head, yelling, "Come on!" They cornered Jessica on the stairs. They were distracted by one of their kin being taken out by a cannon. Seizing the opportunity Jessica ran away. The pirates were once again stopped by a falling chandelier._

 _Jessica ran into a room and locked it with a candlestick holder. She then reached for the swords that were in a shield mounted on the wall. She tried to pull it out but couldn't. She then saw a closet and went into it to hide herself._

 _Just then the pirates broke and the firs said with an evil grin, "We know you're here, Poppet."_

 _The second chuckled evilly and repeated, "Poppet."_

 _The first one added, "Come out…and we promise we won't hurt you." The second looked at the first questionably and the first rolled his eyes._

 _The second smiled evil and the first saw the rug corner flipped and knew where the girl was hiding. "We will find you, Poppet. You've got something of ours and it calls to us."_

 _Jessica looked down and saw that she was wearing the medallion and realized that was like they were there for._

 _The second snickered and said, "Gold calls."_

 _Jess hid the medallion in her nightdress just as the first peaked through the closet doors, then threw them open saying, "Ello, Poppet."_

 _Before they could do her any harm, Jessica yelled, "Parley!"_

 _The second was confused at what the bone said. "What?"_

" _Parley." Jessica repeated, "I invoke the right of parley, according to the Code of the brethren, you have to take me to your Captain." It was the only way Jessica could think out of this, though she knew it would cause more problems for her later down the line._

 _The first grinded his teeth. "I know the code."_

 _Jessica scowled at them. "If an adversary demands parley you can do them no harm until the parley is complete."_

 _The second had enough and said, "To blazes with the Code."_

" _She wants to be taken to the Captain." The first yelled, "And she'll go without a fuss. We must honor the Code."_

 _Sam was righting and the pirate was holding him down. "Say goodbye!" The pirate quipped._

 _The cannonball then hit the sign._

 _Sam pushed the pirate off of him, stepped to the side as he was hit by the falling side._

" _Goodbye." Sam smirked._

 _That was when he saw Jessica being dragged off by two of the pirates. She saw the boy and called out, "Sam!"_

" _Jessica." Sam breathed. He was by a pirate and realized to his confusion that it was the one he had killed with the hatchet. Then the one he had been fighting hit Sam from behind and he fell to the ground._

 _The cannonball hit the wall of the prison and broke though. But the hole was through where the men were heled._

 _One of them looked at Dean and said, "My sympathies, friend, you've no manner of luck at all."_

 _Both of them descape and Dean silently pleaded for Lady Luck to favor him just once. The moon was shining with its rays as the fog moved to the side. He looked at the bone and then to the dog. He then whistled for the dog, picked up the bone, and said, "Come on, doggy. It's just you and me now. It's you and ol' Dean. Come on. Come, good boy." The boy got close to Dean little by little. "That's a good boy, come on! Bit closer, bit closer. That's it, that's it, doggy.;" Btu the dog stop knowing what Dean wanted._

 _Dean got mad and snapped, "Come on you filthy, slimy, mangy cur."_

 _Then the dog heard a crash from downstairs and ran off with the key in its mouth._

" _No, no, no, no, no, I didn't mean it." Dean begged "I didn't…"_

 _Then a guard was thrown down the stairs. A pirate looked around and said, "This ain't the armory."_

 _Then his companion saw Dean and said with a sly evil smile, "Well, well, well, look what we have here, Aldo—Captain Dean Weston."_

 _Aldo spit at the other pirate, but Dean moved to avoid it._

" _Last time I saw you, you were all alone on a godforsaken island, shrinking into the distance." Aldo said, before chuckling evilly with his companion and added, "His fortunes aren't improved much."_

 _Dean smiled back slyly. "Worry about your own fortunes, gentlemen." He turned serious as he added, "The deepest circle of Hell is reserve for betrayers and mutineers."_

 _The pirate then grabbed Dean's throat and the Captain saw his arm turn skeletal in the moonlight. Dean had heard rumors of the curse and now this proved it. "So, there is a course. That's interesting."_

 _The cursed pirate grinned his teeth and growled, "You know nothing of Hell." And with that he let his former Captain go and the pair left to find the armory._

" _That's very interesting." Dean said looking down at the bone he was holding._

 _Sam groaned and opened his eyes and saw the town in disarray that morning. He admittedly ran for the fort._

 _When he got to the Commodore he called out, "They're taken her. They've taken Jessica."_

 _Castiel knew this and didn't feel he had time for Sam and called out in a stern tone, "Mr. Kelvin, remove this man."_

 _Kelvin grabbed Sam's arm but he yanked his arm free. Sam wanted to save Jessica, not because they were good reriends but he had feelings for her. He had to hide them because of their status difference, and he wasn't even sure she feels the same way. "We have to hunt him down. We must save her."_

 _Governor Moore looked at the boy and said with a straight face, "And where do you propose we start? If you have any information concerning my daughter, please share it."_

 _Sam lowered his head in defeat. He didn't lmw where the pirates had taken her, but he would do anything for her, even risk his own life._

 _The Kelvin spoke up. "That Dean Weston. He talked about the Black Pearl."_

" _Mentioned it, is more what he did." The other guard correct it._

 _An idea then popped into Sam's head. "That pirate, Dean Weston, he could tell us where that ship is and where it's heading. Ask him where it is. Make a deal with him. He could lead us to it."_

 _Casitel sighed at the idea, starting to get annoyed. "No..the pirates who invaded this Fort left Dean locked in cell ergo they are not his allies."_

 _Sam's blood was boiling with anger. The navy was not lifting a finger to help Jessica and all the Commodore was doing was taking about recuing her but not enough action. Castiel turned his back to Sam and said, "Governor, we will establish their most likely course…" Sam's anger hit its limit and he threw his hatchet with full force. "That's not good enough!"_

 _Castiel turned back, pulling out the hatchet. "Mr. Winchester, you are not a military man, you are not a sailor. You are a blacksmith." His face got serious as he grabbed Sam's arm tightly and pulled his to the side as not to embarrass either of them, "And this is not the moment for rash actions." The he whispered into Sam's ear. "Do not male the mistake of thinking you are the only man here who cares for Jessica." Then he handed the hatchet back to Sam._

 _Meanwhile in the jail cells, Dean eas using the bone to pick the lock. He was getting frustrated as he jiggled the bone. "Pease…" He begged ad he continued to pick the lock._

 _He then heard footsteps coming down. Fearing the guards were coming to check up on him, he laid down on back to make it look like he wasn't breaking out. He saw the boy he fought the day before and wondered what he could possibly want._

 _Sam looked at Dean, you what lying on the floor and barked, "You. Dean!"_

 _Dean made a sly smile and said, "Aye."_

 _Sam had to know if what Kelvin had said was true. "You are familiar with the ship—the Black Pearl?"_

" _I've heard of it." Dean answered with a straight face._

 _Sam's eyes widened with joy and asked, "where it berth?"_

 _Dean raised his eyebrow as he sat up with a sly smile. "Where does it berth? Have you not heard the stories?"_

 _Sam had never heard of the Black Pearl, let alone the ghost stories._

 _Dean went back to lying down as he began, "Captain Azazel and his crew of miscreant's sail form the dreaded Hell's Isle. It's an island that cannot be found expect by those who already know where it is."_

" _The ship's real enough." Sam said with a smile, "Therefore its anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?"_

 _Dean studied his nails. "Why ask me?_

 _Unwilling to reveal his true intentions, Sam said with a straight face, "Because you're a pirate."_

" _And you want to turn pirate yourself, is that?" Dean asked._

 _Enraged, Sam slammed himself against the bars. If it weren't for the bars he would've strangled Dean. "Never!"_

 _Dean went back to lying down._

 _Sam hid his blush as hard as he could as he explained, "They took Miss Moore."_

 _Sam smirked as he up once more. "Ohm, so it is that you're found a girl. I see." His face got serious as he continued, "Well, if you're intending to brave all, hasten to her rescue a so win the fair lady's heart you'll have to do it alone, mate. I see no profit in it."_

 _Sam know what the pirate wanted. "I can get you out of here."_

 _Dean raised his eyebrow. "How's that? The key's run off."_

 _Sam smirked. "I helped build these cells. These are half pin-barrel hinges. "He then picked up and bench and placed it at the bottom of the cell door. He adjusted the bottom bench to make sure it was in place.  
With the right leverage and the proper application of strength…the door will life free." Dean was surprised to hear this boy, who fought with swords, was very smart for his age on top of everything else. "What's our name?"_

" _Sam Winchester." The boy answered._

" _That will be short for Samuel, I imagine." Dean said, "Good, strong name." Then he added with a small smile, "No doubt, named for a grandparent, eh?"_

" _Yes." Sam answered._

 _Dean got to his feet, saying, "Uh-huh. Well, Mr. Winchester, I've changed my mind. If you spring me from this cell I swear on pain of death I shall take you to the black Pearl and your bonny add." Then he held out his hand and added, "Do we have an accord?"_

 _Sam looked at his hand and then shook it. "Agree."_

 _Dean made a sly smile and repeated. "Agreed. Get me out."_

 _Sam pulled the bench and the cell door popped open. Sam grabbed the cell door and threw it to the side. "Hurry. Someone will have heard that."_

 _Dean looked at his belongings and grabbed them, "Not without my effects."_

 _Obviously due to Sam's actions the pair were aboding the navy, as Dean tried to find a good ship the pirate then saw the Dauntless and the Interceptor, both ships that had been in particularly pointed out to him the day before._

" _We're going to steal the ship." Sam said, looking at the ships as well. He then saw Dean was looking at the Dauntless and added, "That ship?"_

 _Dean rolled eyes. "Commandeer. We're going to commandeer that ship. Nautical term." He then wanted to know how much his newfound partner was willing to risk. One question about your business, boy or there's no use going." He turned to face Sam with a serious tone, "This girl-how far are you willing to go to save her?"_

 _Sam know the answer to that. "I'd die for her."_

" _Oh, good." Dean said with a slight smile, "No worries, then."_

 _The navy was looking high and low for the pair but not low enough. Dean and Sam lifted the longboat that they were under and went into the sea. They were underwater but still able to berthe due to the longboat's airspace._

" _This is either madness or brilliance." Sam commented._

 _Dean sighed and said with an emotionless face, "It's remarkable how often those tow traits coincide."_

 _When they reached the Dauntless, Dean yelled, "Everyone stay calm! We are taking over the ship!"_

 _Sam raised his sword and yelled, "Aye! Avast!"_

 _The entire crew were laughing at the boy. Dean looked at Sam with a raised eyebrow and Sam shrugged. This was his first time commandeering a ship, or stealing it or whatever they wanted to call it._

 _The Luteint, who was also on the ship, declared with confidence and a sir, "This ship cannot be crewed by two men. You'll never make it out of the bay."_

 _Dean was getting annoyed. "Son…" He began before pulling out his pistol and pointing it at the Luitent, "I'm Captain Dean Weston. Savvy?"_

 _Meanwhile, at the Fort, Castile and his men were trying to form a plan. "One of the men spotted the Luteinent out in the longboat and yelled, "Commodore!"_

 _Castiel pulled out his spyglass and looked through it. He saw the Luitentet waving his hands in the air as he yelled, "Sire, they've taken the Dauntless. They're taken the ship. Weston and Winchester—they're taken the Dauntless."_

 _Sam looked to find Dean and Sam working on the Dauntless. "Rash, Winchester, too rash. That is without doubt the worst pirate I have even seen."_

 _Castiel and his men were coming on the Interceptor and heading towards the Dauntless. Dam them coming ant looked to Dean. "Here they come._

 _Dean looked at the Interceptor and just grinned. Sam was starting to think there was something seriously wrong with this man._

 _The Commodore headed for the Dauntless and the Lieutenant yelled at his men, "Bring her around! Bring her around!" Castiel and his men were on the Dauntless and Casitel ordered his men, "Search every cabin, every hold, down to the bilges."_

 _Castilel's men were looking high and low for them. But little did they know Dean and Sam swung onto the Interceptor. Sam cut the rope with his hatchet, which was holding on the Dauntless._

 _Realizing they had been tricked he yelled at his men, "Sailors, back to the Interceptor! Now!"_

 _One of the sailors yelled, "Quickly men!" He then grabbed the rope and swing to the ship but the ship was sailing away and the sailor fell into the sea._

 _Dean took off his hat, bowed, and yelled with a sly grin, "Thank you, Commodore, for getting us ready to make way. We'd have had a hard time of it by ourselves."_

 _Castiel's men began to fire at the pirate and blacksmith. Castiel would have to do something he really didn't want to do. He ordered one of the man, "Set top sails and clear up this mess."_

 _The man though they were going to chase them and warned, "With the wind at quarter astern, we won't catch them."_

" _We don't need to catch them in range of the long nines." Castiel ordered gravely, "Hands, come about. Run the guns."_

 _The crew brought the guns around. "We open fire on our own ship, sir?" One of the men asked._

" _I'd rather see her at the bottom of the sea than in the hands of a pirate." Castiel answered angrily._

 _However, the man trying to steer the ship had made a socking discovery. "Commodore, they've disabled the rudder chain, sir!"_

 _The Dauntless was making towards the Luteitent, causing him to panic. "Abandoned ship!"_

 _He and the crew jumped off the long boat just in time for the Dauntless to crush it._

 _Castiel hung his head in defeat, silently cursing Dean Weston._

" _That's got to be the best pirate I have ever seen." One of the sailors said in awe._

" _So, it would seem." Castile responded, emotionless._

 **Open Sea**

 **A Few Hours Later**

 _Sam was sharpening his sword when he began, "When I was a lad living in England, my mother raised me by herself. After she died, I came out here, looking for my father."_

" _Is that so?" Dean asked, knowing where this was going. The boy was finishing for information on his father._

 _Sam stopped sharpening and went over to the pirate. "My father, John Winchester. At the jail, it was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help. Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the manner. I'm not a simpleton, Dean. You know my father."_

 _Dean sighed, deciding he might as well get it over with. He turned to look at Sam and said with a serious tone, "I knew 'im. Probably one of the few who actually knew him as John Winchester. Everyone else called him Bootstrap or Bootstrap Jack."_

 _As Dean turned back to helm, Sam repeated, puzzled, "Bootstrap?"_

 _Dean added with a smile, "Good man. Good pirate."_

 _Sam turned his head at that._

" _I swear you look just like him." Dean continued._

 _This got Sam angry again. "It's not true. He was a merchant sailor. A good, respectable man who obeyed the law."_

 _Dean turned around. "Okay, if this is going to work, you need to face the facts, kid. He was bloody pirate, a scallywag."_

 _Sam pulled his sword, scowling, "My father was not a pirate."_

 _Dean sighed. "Put it away, son. It's not worth you getting beat again."_

" _You didn't beat me." Sam reasoned, "You ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd kill you."_

" _Then that's not much incentive for me to fight fair, then isn't?" Dean pointed out._

 _Dean turned back to helm as Sam tried to figure out what that meant. Dean ducked as the sail's yard was coming for Sam. Sam then caught it, dropping his sword in the process. Dean swung him over the sea, forcing Sam to hang from the wooden pole. Dean picked up Sam's sword, saying, "Now, as long as you're hanging there, pay attention. The only rules that really matter are these—what man can do and what a man can't do. For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man or you cannot. But pirate is in your blood, and you'll have to square with that someday."_

 _Sam didn't want to face the fact that his father was pirate, but he was willing to admit he was a good man. It matched with the story he told himself._

 _Dean returned to the helm and continued, "Now, me, for example, now, I can let you down, but I can't bring this ship where we're going by all by me onesty, savvy? So…" Dean then turned the helm and the pole back to the ship. Sam fell to the ground and Dean hovered over him. He offered the sword, saying, "Can you sail under the command of a pirate, or can you not?"_

 _Sam grabbed the sword._

 **Elsewhere on The Open Sea**

 **Later That Evening**

 _Jessica was pacing in the stateroom where she was being kept. She knew the navy had to be looking for, since she was the Governor's daughter. She just wish they would hurry up already. She also couldn't help but wonder how Sam was taking all this._

 _Her thoughts were stopped when the two pirates who had captured her entered the room. One of them was carrying an aqua-colored dress. "You'll be dinin' with the Captain." He explained, "And he requests you wear this."_

 _No way Jessica was going to dine with a pirate especially one she already hated. "Well, you may tell your captain that I am disinclined to acquiesce to his request." Jessica paraphrased what he had told her when she was taken._

 _Both pirates laughed and then one of them said with an evil grinned, "He said you'd say that. He also said if that be the case, you'll be dinin' with the crew…and you'll be naked."_

 _The other pirate started to giggle at the thought of her naked. Jessica scowled and stanched the dress. She was not going to do anything around a pirate crew naked, let alone dine with them in that state._

 _The evil smiled faded and the other said, "Fine."_

 _When Jessica came into the room, in the dress, she found memembers of the crew setting the table, Captain Azazel at the head. She sat down and began to eat daintily._

 _Azazel responded by grinning, encouraging, "There's no need to stand on ceremony or call to impress anyone. You must be hungry."_

 _Jessica dived into the chicken, ripping the meat off the bone to shut him up. That and she hadn't actually had any food since coming aboard the ship._

 _Azazel then poured wine into a goblet, handing it to the girl. "Try the wine."_

 _Jessica grabbed the goblet and drank. It was quite good actually._

 _Azazel then handed her a green apple. "And the apples? One of those next."_

 _Suddenly a horrid thought occurred to Jessica, causing her to drop the goblet. "It's poisoned."_

" _There would be no sense in killing ye, Miss Winchester." Azazel replied, using the last name Jessica had given them upon her capture, along with a fake story of being a maid._

" _Then release me." Jessica demanded, "You have your trinket. I'm of no further value to you."_

 _Azazel pulled out the medallion and asked, "You don't know what this, do ye?"_

" _It's a pirate medallion." Jessica answered sternly._

" _This is Aztec gold…" Azazel began, "One of 882 identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortes himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But the greed of Cortes was insatiable. So, the heathen gods placed a curse upon the gold…a terrible curse. Any mortal that removed but a single piece from that stone chest shall be punished for all eternity."_

 _Jessica responded with a look of disbelief, saying, "I hardly believe ghost stories, anymore, Captain Azazel."_

 _Azazel flashed her a sly grin, "Aye. That's exactly what I thought when we were first told the tale. Buried on the Island of the Dead what cannot be found except for those who know where it is. "He faces turned serious as he continued, "Fine it we did. There be the chest. Inside be the gold. We spent 'em and traded 'em and frittered them away on food and drink and pleasurable company. The more we gave 'em away, the more we came to realize…the drink would not satisfy, food turned to ask in our mouths, and all the pleasurable company in the world could not state our lust. We are cursed men, Miss Winchester. Compelled by greed, we were, but now we are consumed by it."_

 _Azazel's money was now screeching and jumping up and down. As he went to the monkey and tried to calm it, Jessica grabbed a butter knife and hid it in a napkin._

 _Azazel finally calmed down his pet, and continued, "There is one way to end our curse. All the scattered pieces of Aztec gold must be restored and the blood repaid. "Thanks to ye, we have the final piece."_

 _Jessica gulped and asked nervously, "And the blood repaid?"_

 _Azazel grinned mentencely. "That's why there's no sense to be killing ye…yet."_

 _Jessica's eyes widened with the horrible realization that she meant to be some sort of human sacrifice._

 _Azazel held the same green apple in his hand. "Apple?"_

 _Jessica swatted the apple out of his hand, then grabbed the knife in the napkin and ran for it. Suddenly Azazel popped up in front of her, going, "Arrr." Terrified at this point, Jessica stabbed him in the heart, only for it to have no effect. In fact, he just pulled the knife out and asked with a smirk, "I'm curious—after killin' me what was it you planin' on doing next?"_

 _Still trying to get away, Jessica opened the door only to find decaying skeletons working on the ship. She was then chased by one of the decaying skeletons and was stopped at the helm. She managed to pull the helm down. The skeleton's head went backwards and the he snapped it back into place. She managed to get away and hide under the stairs only to be joined by the monkey, who it turned out was cursed too. She got back into the Captain's stateroom, being stopped in her tacks by the man himself._

" _Look!" Azazel ordered as Jessica saw the moon, "The moonlight shows us for what we really are. We are not among the living, and so we cannot die, but neither are we dead." He turned Jessica so that they were face to face. For too long I've been parched with thirst and unable to quench it. Too long I've been starving to death and haven't die. I feel nothing—not the wind on my face, nor the spray of the sea, nor the warmth of a women's flesh._

 _Jessica backed away from the pirate as raised his hand out into the moonlight and it turned to bone. Then he went into the moonlight revealing his complete skeletal form. "You best start believing in ghost stories, Miss Winchester. You're in one!" Then, putting on for the terrified maiden, He grabbed a bottle of wine, pulling it out with his teeth, then drank, the wine going through his ribs. Jessica ran for her stateroom as he threw the bottle. He laughs heartily and so did the crew. As if noticing his audience for the first time Azazel snapped, "What are ye looking at? Back to work!"_

 _The skeletons scrambled around as one of them yelled, "You heard the Captain. Back to work."_

 _Back in the stateroom, Jessica was shaking with fear, wondering what she had gotten herself into._

 **Hell's Isle**

 **The Next Day**

 _The crew Dean had gathered was getting a chill from the air. Garth's, a mute due to his tongue getting cut out, parrot singing, "Dead men tell no tales,' didn't help the situation._

 _They passed all kinds of wrecks causing Bobby, another man they had picked up who use to be part of the navy, commented with a grim tone, "Puts a chill in the bones how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage._

 _Garth was standing too close to Dean for his comfort, causing him to shut his compass, hoping Bobby had hired the right group of men for his crew._

 _This evoked a question from Sam. "How did Dean come by that compass?" He asked Bobby._

 _Bobby looked to Dean to make sure he wasn't listening than back to Sam. "Not a lot's known about Dean Winchester before he showed up where you found us with a mind to go after the treasure of the Perdition Marsh." Bobby began, "That was before I met him, back when he was captain of the Black Pearl."_

 _Sam couldn't believe what Bobby had just said. Dean had been the Captain of the ship they were looking for before Azazel was. "What?!" Sam exclaimed before turning to make sure Dean wasn't listening in before turning back to Bobby and saying in a lower voice, "He failed to mention that."_

" _Well, he plays things close to the vest now." Bobby explained with a grim look, "And a hard-learned lesson it was. See three days out on the venture the first mate comes to him and says everything's an equal share. That should mean the location of the treasure, too, so Dean gives up the bearings. They marooned Dean on an island and left him to die but not before he'd gone mad with the heat."_

" _Ah." Sam responded, a lot of things suddenly making sense, "So that's the reason for all the…" Sam began to act like Dean._

" _Reason's got nothin' to do with it." Bobby said, sitting down on crate, causing Sam to do the same, "Now, Sam, when a man is marooned, he is given a pistol with a signal shot-one shot. Well, it won't do much good hunting or to be rescued. But after three weeks of stravin' belly and thirst, that pistol will start to look real friendly." He made a gun with his fingers and pointed it to his head, "But Dean-he escaped the island, and he still has that one shot. Oh, but he won't use it, thought, save for one man. His mutinous first mate."_

 _Sam thought he had a good idea who that was. "Azazel?"_

 _Bobby nodded. "Aye."_

 _Unable to help himself, Sam asked, "How did Dean get off the island?"_

 _Bobby loved to tell this part of the story. "Well, I'll tell ye. He waded out into the shallows and there he waited three days and three nights, 'till all manner of sea creature came and acclimated to his presence. And on the forth morning, he roped himself a couple of sea turtles, lash 'em together and made a raft."_

 _Sam couldn't believe what he was hearing. "He roped a couple of sea turtles?"_

 _Bobby nodded again. "Aye. Sea turtles."_

 _Another thought occurred to Sam. "What did he use for rope?"_

 _Bobby was about to answer when he saw Dean himself hovering over them._

" _Human hair," Dean answered, "From my back."_

 _Sam though the urge to be sick._

 _Dean yelled to the crew. "Let go of the anchor!"_

" _Let go of the anchor, sir!" One of the pirates repeated._

 _Dean then looked to Bobby, saying, "Young Mr. Winchester and I are to go ashore."_

" _Captain!" Bobby called after him, "What if the worst should happen?"_

" _Keep the code." Dean answered with a serious face._

 _Bobby nodded. "Aye, the code."_

 _As they left, Sam wondered what the code was._


	123. Curse Of The Black Pearl: Part Three

**Hell's Isle**

 **A Few Minutes Later**

 _Sam rowed the boat he and Dean were in and saw a skull. Sam asked cautiously. "What code is Bobby to keep should the worst happen?"_

" _Pirate's code." Dean explained, "Any man that falls behind…is left behind."_

 _Sam smirked. "No heroes amongst thieves, eh?"_

 _Dean knew that even Sam hated pirates, the boy was becoming one himself, like his father. "You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates, you're well on your way to becoming one. Sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the Fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew…"_

 _Sam was momentarily distracted by all the gold and jewels around them._

"… _and you're completely obsessed with treasure." Dean finished._

 _Sam was angered once more, scowling as they got out of the boat. "That's not true. I am not obsessed with treasure."_

 _Dean went ahead and stopped when saw a gathering, looked back at Sam and declared, "Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate."_

 _Sam had no clue what he was talking about until he saw what Dean was looking at. In the center of the gathering of pirates was Jessica, her hands shaking with fear as Azazel began a speech, "Gentlemen, the time has come! Our salvation is nigh! Our torment is near an end. For ten years, we've been tested and tried, and each man here has proved his mettle a hundred times over and a hundred times again!"_

 _The crew was cheering at the thought of being free from the curse. One pirate pointed to the wooden ball he used in pace of an eye, exclaiming, "Suffered I have!"_

 _Azazel continued, "Punished were we. The lot of us—disproportionate to our crimes! "Here it is…" He threw the lid off the chest and glazed hand over the coins, "…the cursed treasure of Cortes himself." He picked up a few coins before dropping them back in the chest, grinning slyly, "Every last piece that went astray, we have returned…save for this." He pointed to the medallion around Jessica's neck._

 _Fearing they were going to kill Jessica right then and there, Sam tried to jump to her recusing, calling back, "Dean!"_

 _Dean pulled Sam down and whispered, "Not yet. We wait for the opportune moment."_

 _Unaware of their presence, Azazel was continuing his speech, "881 we found but disappeared of ever finding the last."_

 _Dean began to move quietly but stopped when Sam snapped, "When's that? When it's of the greatest profit to you?"_

 _Dean turned around. "May I ask you something? Have I ever given you reason not to trust me? Do us a favor—I know it's difficult for you, but please stay here and try to not do anything stupid."_

 _It was at that point Azazel cracked a sly grin as he asked, "And who among us has paid the blood sacrifice owed to the heathen gods?"_

 _The pirates yelled, "Us!"_

" _And whose blood must yet be paid?" Azazel asked._

 _They all pointed at Jessica, shouting, "Hers!"_

" _You know the first thing I'm goin' to do after the curse is lifted?" Azazel asked of the crew._

 _The pirates chuckled at this, thinking it was something dirty. Meanwhile Azazel whispered in Jessica's ear, "Eat a whole bustle of apples." He then grabbed her right hand with one of his, holding a knife in the other. The crew began to chant as he said, "Begun by blood…by blood be undone."_

 _Dean then turned around only to be hit with an oar. Sam looked down on the unconscious older man, holding the oar in his hand. "Sorry, Dean. I'm not going to be your leverage." He then dropped the oar and went to save Jessica._

 _Azazel pressed the medallion in Jessica's hand, cutting it._

" _That's it?" Jessica asked._

 _Azazel smiled. "Waste not." He then squeezed blood out of the cut onto the medallion. Jessica let go of the medallion, causing the pirates to stop cursing and just watch as it fell into the chest. They waited for a moment to see if the curse was lifted, then there was a chorus of, "Did it work?" "I don't feel not different." And "How do we tell?"_

 _Azazel rolled his eyes, putting away the knife and pulling out a pistol. He then shot one of the pirates, who looked at the wound the Captain had made._

 _Another of the men made a confused face, observing, "You're not dead."_

 _The pirate looked at his crewmate with a relieved look, saying, "No." Then he looked to Azazel, "He shot me!"_

 _The woodened-eyed pirate said with a worried tone, "It didn't work."_

 _Another of the men yelled at their Captain, "The curse is still upon us!"_

 _Azazel took out the knife he just used and looked at it. He then put it away and grabbed Jessica, demanding, "You, maid! Your father, what was his name?!" He then grabbed both her arms, shook her, and elaborated, "Was your father John Winchester?" It also occurred to him that he probably should have checked this earlier._

 _Jessica scowled at her captor. "No."_

 _Azazel let go of her, grabbed the medallion and ranted, "Where's his child?! The child that sailed from England ten years ago, the child in whose veins flow the blood of John Winchester?! Where?!" Azazel then backhanded Jessica, sending her in the medallion to the ground._

 _One of the pirates look at the pair that had captured her, exclaiming, "You two! You brought us the wrong person!"_

 _The pirates were closing in on them and one of them argued in their defense, "No! She had the medallion. She's the proper age."_

 _The other, the pirate with the wooden eye, argued, "She said her name was Winchester—you heard her!"_

 _At that point Jessica felt a hand go over her mouth, and instinctively turned to see her attacker. It was Sam, motioning her to be quiet and follow her into the water. Jessica did, grabbing medallion as she wondered how Sam found her, not that she was complaining._

 _Meanwhile, wooden eyed continued, "I think she lied to us."_

" _You brought us here for nothing!" Aldo screamed at Azazel._

" _I won't take questioning and no second guesses, not from the likes of you, Master Aldo." Azazel retorted._

 _It was then the monkey noticed Sam and Jessica making their escape, then screeched to try to warn the others._

 _However, the pirates were too busy forming a mob. "Who's to blame?" One of them demanded, "Every decision you've made has lead us from bad to worst!"_

 _The monkey screeched louder as the young couple slipped past the pirates._

 _Another pirate pointed out, "It was you who sent Bootstrap to the depths!"_

 _The monkey tried pointing at where Sam and Jessica were going._

 _Yet another pirate got out his sword, yelling angrily, "And it's you who brought us here in the first place!"_

 _Azazel pulled his own sword as the crew began to charge him. He then challenged them, "If any coward dares challenge me, let him speak! Hmm?"_

 _The crew knew they were no match for him, even with their numbers._

" _I say, we cut her throat and spill her blood, just in case." One of the pirates suggested._

 _As the other yelled in agreement as Azazel finally saw his pet pointing. It was then he realized Jessica and the medallion were gone. "The medallion! She's taken it! Get after her, you feckless ingrates!"_

 **The Same Island Dean Was Marooned on The Frist Time**

 **Less Than a Day Later**

 _Jessica managed to get herself onto the beach. It had not been a good day. She and Sam managed to escape to the ship, where Jim discovered the medallion and that Sam was the one the pirates wanted. They also more or less declared their love for each other. More or less because they didn't really get that far, because the ship was attacked and they and the rest of the crew were captured by the Black Pearl. Sam bargained her release and the safety of the crew with his blood. Unfortunately, Azazel found the obvious loophole in that he never said where or when he would release her, marooning her and Dean on the same island they had left him on the first time around. Not before making her give back the dress, though._

 _Just then Jessica saw Dean coming out of the water, working the ropes that bound him off his wrist. He looked to see that the Black Pearl was heading back to Hells' Isle and noted, "That's the second time I've had to watch that demon sail away on my ship." He walked past the blonde but Jessica followed after him. "But you were marooned on this island before, weren't you?" She reasoned, "So we can escape the same way you did then."_

 _Dean was getting annoyed and turned around, snapping at the girl, "To what point and purpose young missy?! The Black Pearl is gone and unless you have a rudder and a lot of sails in that bodice-unlikely-young Mr. Winchester will be dead long before you can reach him."_

 _Jessica was refused to accept that. She followed the tawny-haired man as he knocked on a tree. "But you're Captain Dean Winchester." She reminded him, "You vanished from under the eyes of the East India Trading Company. You've sacked whole ports without even firing a shot."_

 _Meanwhile Dean was jumping up and down._

 _Jessica then got up in his face and asked, "Are you the pirate I've read about or not? How did you escape last time?"_

 _Dean sighed and began in an annoyed tone, "Last time…I was here a grand total of three days, alright?!" He then moved her out of the way and opened a secret cellar lid, going down in it as he continued his confession, "Last time…the rumrunners used this island as a cache. Came by, and I was able to barter a passage off. From the looks of things, they've long been out of business. Probably…have your bloody friend Norrington to thank for that." He then came back up with two bottles of rum._

" _So that's it, then?" Jessica asked in disbelief, "That's that the secret grand adventure of the infamous Dean Weston?" She got within inches of his face with a scowl that would give Sam a run for his money, "You spent three days on a beach, drinking rum."_

 _Dean grinned at her, "Welcome to Caribbean, love." He then handed Jessica a bottle of rum which gave her an idea._

 _Later that night in their intoxicated state, Jessica and Dean threw a bon-fire together and sang merrily as they danced around it, "We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho! Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!"_

 _Dean so drunk he laughed and exclaimed heartily, "I love this song!"_

 _Jessica laughed as well as they spun around together, linking arms. Jessica fell down first and Dean exclaimed, "Really bad eggs!" Then he got dizzy and fell down with her. He looked at Jessica and declared happily, "When I get the Black Pearl back, I'm gonna teach it to the whole crew and we'll sing it all the time!"_

" _And you'll be positively the most fearsome pirate in the colonies." Jessica told him confidently._

" _Not just the colonies, love." Dean replied with a serious face, "The entire Caribbean. The entire world!" He then continued, "Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a kneel and a hull and a deck and sails, that's what a ship needs, but what a ship is…what the Black Pearl really is…is freedom."_

 _Jessica sighed and rested her head on Dean's shoulder. Then she said in a sad tone, "Dean… it must really be terrible for you to be trapped on this island."_

 _Dean looked down at the drunken blonde and realized it was time to work his charm. "Oh yes." He then put his arm around her shoulder and continued, "But the company is differently better that last time, I think." Jessica saw his hand on her arm, and took it that her plan was working. Dean continued in a slurry tone, "The scenery has most definitely improved."_

 _Jessica faked a drunk voice as she said, "Mr. Weston…I'm not entirely sure that I've had enough rum to allow that kind of talk."_

 _Dean smiled seductively, "I know exactly what you mean, love." Then he ran his hands through her long blonde hair._

 _Jessica raised her rum glass for a toast, saying, "To freedom."_

 _Dean smiled and made the toast, adding, "To the Black Pearl."_

 _He drank his rum and as Jessica watched, she felt a little bad for what she was about to do as the pirate lost consciousness._

 _In the morning, Dean was awoken by the smell of smoke. He looked to discover Jessica burning almost everything._

 _Panicked, Dean got up, yelling at her, "No! Not good! Stop! Not good! What are you doing? You burnt all the food, the shade! The rum!"_

 _Jessica responded, still working on her fire, "Yes, the rum is gone."_

" _Why is the rum gone?" Jessica asked._

 _Jessica turned around to face Dean. "One, because it is a vile drink that turns even the most respectable men into complete scoundrels. Two, that signal is over a thousand feet high. The entire Royal Navy is out looking for me, do you really think that there is even the slightest chance that they won't see it?"_

 _Dean, however, was hung up on one factor. "But why is the rum gone?"_

 _Jessica rolled her eyes, setting down to stare at the horizon. "Just wait, Captain Weston. You give it one hour, maybe two, keep a whether eye out, and then you will see white sails on that horizon."_

 _At Jessica's back, Dean pulled a pistol. Then he remembered that the bullet was meant was for one men, and Jessica was most certainly not him. So, he but the pistol away and stalked off. Angry, he started to imitate her. "Must've been terrible for you to be trapped here, Dean. Must've been terrible for you." He turned around and yelled angrily, "Well it bloody is now!"_

 _Then, as if to prove Jessica right, the Dauntless came up on the horizon, heading towards the island._

" _There'll be no living with her after this." Dean declared._

 **Open Seas Near Hell's Isle**

 **A Few Hours Later**

 _Back on the Black Pearl the two pirates who had kidnapped Jessica in the first place were Bobby and the rest of Dean's crew were being kept. Garth's parrot squawked, "" Awwk, shiver me timbers."_

 _Bobby chuckled, "Garth 'ere says you missed a bit."_

 _Garth then hit the mop in his hands against the cell._

 _Sam was lost in his thoughts. Now he would never tell Jessica how he felt about her. But he could at least get answers on his father. He looked at the pirates. "You know John Winchester?"_

" _Ol' Bootstrap Jack." One of the pirates said in an amused tone, "We knew him. Never sat well with Bootstrap what we did to Captain Weston, mutiny and all. He said it wasn't right with the Code. That's why he sent off a piece of the treasure to you as it were."_

 _That was when it hit Sam. His rather was trying to protect him and he was a good man._

" _He said we deserved to be cursed…and remain cursed." The other pirate, the one with the wooden eye added with a sneer, "Stupid blighter."_

" _Good man." Bobby corrected with confidence._

 _The other pirate gave Bobby a glare as he continued the story. "Well, as you can imagine that didn't sit too well with the Captain."_

 _Wooden-eye laughed at that. "That didn't sit too well with the Captain at all. Tell him what Azazel did."_

 _His companion growled at wooden eye, yelling, "I'm telling the story!" He looked at the dark-eyed bot and continued, "So…What the Captain did, he strapped a cannon to Bootstrap's bootstraps."_

 _Wooden-eyes giggled and repeated, "Bootstraps' bootstraps."_

 _His friend finally finished the story. "The last we saw of Ol' Bootstrap Winchester, he was sinking to the crushing black oblivion of Davy Jones' locker. 'Course it was only after that we learned we needed his blood to lift the curse. "_

 _Then wooden eye added, "That 's what you call ironic."_

 _That was when everyone heard the footsteps and turned to see Azazel holding the keys to Sam's cell. He tossed the keys to wooden eye, yelling, "Bring him!"_

 _Sam knew they had arrived at Hells' Isle. Again._

 **Hell's Isle**

 **Roughly Twenty Minute Later**

 _Sam put his sword through the undead pirate before him, but, due to the fact that he was undead, it had little effect. Dean was by his side, after trying to sale him out. Sam wasn't sure if that had just been a rouse or what was going on. Also, apparently Jessica had agreed to marry Castiel to get the navy to rescue him._

 _Suddenly a beam of moonlight hit Dean, and he suddenly became grey and skeletal as well._

" _What the Hell?!" Sam called out, "You're cursed, too?!"_

 **Hell's Isle**

 **Right Now**

"Couldn't resist." The Dean of that universe replied, still in his skeletal form.

Meanwhile, from their spot in the corner, Sam and Dean were trying to quickly put the spell together. Sam grabbed the book and yelled to be heard about the madness, ""Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

They were surrounded by the bright light, leaving that universe to work out its craziness.


	124. Another Species Change

**AN: Special thanks to Grre for this request.**

When they came to, they found themselves staring at the white tile of a kitchen floor. The looked up to see a woman with Dean-like features and a dark-haired young woman in a maid uniform, staring at them.

The boys stared back at the pair, or more specifically, the young woman's ebony-colored tail which was on the table. She slowly took it off said table.

"Okay, we know this looks weird-thought not weirder than whatever that was, but we can explain." Dean spoke up, "We're versions of you and your brother, if he is in fact a brother here, from another universe, where as you can see, I am a dude, trust me it's a weird for you as it is for me. A witch sent us to another universe, and we're just trying to get back to our own, okay?"

"Alright," Female Dean replied, slowly nodding, "So in addition to dragons we also have to deal with witches?"

"Well, we don't deal with dragons that much in our universe, and they're not—like that." Dean gestured to the young woman, "Assuming she's the dragon you're referring to."

The dragon-girl nodded.

"I'm assuming that means Cas doesn't try to feed me her tail?" Female Dean asked.


	125. Ms Winchester's Dragon Maid

"No." Sam answered, staring at the tail, "Mainly because he doesn't have one."

Female dragon Castiel raised an eye brow. "He?"

"Yeah, in our universe Cas is dude." Dean explained, "And an angel."

"Angel?" Female Dean repeated, turning to his Castiel, "Is that a thing?"

Female dragon Cas shrugged.

"Also, he's not our maid." Sam added, just wondering what was going on with the maid uniform.

"Believe me, this was _not_ my idea." Female Dean informed them.

 **Lawrence Kansas**

 **A Year Earlier**

 _Ellen came over to where Deanna Winchester was working on her fifth drink. "Look, Deanna, I think you've had enough." The bar-tender began, "And even if you haven't, it's five minutes 'til closing time."_

" _Aw, come on, Ellen." Deanna groaned, "Just one more, please."_

" _I'm sorry, Deanna." Ellen replied, "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."_

" _Fine." Deanna surrender, annoyed sliding down from the bar stool._

 _Deanna tumbled out of the bar grumbling, "You don't have to go home but you can't stay here. Well, I'm not going home! Not with it in the state it's in." Then she waved down a taxi._

 _Deanna wasn't sure how she wound up at the mountain, but in her drunken state she thought it was a good idea to try to climb it. With her bare hands. Needless to say, she didn't get very far, sliding down the base._

 _That was when she heard the moaning._

" _What the- "Deanna began aloud, following the sound. After a while she came to some sort of strange creature. It looked like a regular human girl, albeit one dressed in a short white dress, except for her long, thick, scaly tail that had a sword sticking out of it._

" _What the- "Deanna repeated, acting on instinct and rushing towards the poor creature, pulling the sword out of her._

" _T-Thank you." The creature said weakly._

" _No problem." Deanna responded, trying to put pressure on the wound, "Ah…"_

" _Castiel." The creature answered._

" _Castiel." Deanna repeated. It was strange, clunky and her innegrated state didn't help matters. "Are-are you gonna be okay?"_

" _Yes." Castiel answered, "Now that it's out I should heal rather fast."_

" _Do you have anywhere to go while you do that?" Deanna asked, concerned._

" _I have a cave around here." Castiel replied._

" _That's good." Deann declared, "I'd ah, offer to let you stay with me for a bit, but ah, my place isn't the best for someone recovering for a sword injury. I work all the time and it's impossible to find a decent maid. Seriously, it's like none of them know how to do their job!" She flopped to the ground. A few seconds later she was pasted out._

 _Deanna slowly opened her eyes and found herself on her bed in her apartment. The thing was, she had no clue how she got there. She did however, remember some sort of dream or hallucination about an injured dragon woman._

" _Man, I must've been sloshed." Deanna commented getting up and rubbing her aching forehead, only for her feet to land on a discarded green hoodie. "Great."_

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **Two Days Later**

 _It was a week day, but Deann wasn't awoken by her alarm clock, as per usual. No, she awoke by the sound of something burning in her kitchen._

 _Deanna sprung up, and ran towards the kitchen, to find the creature she hallucinated the other night, with fire coming out of her mouth going onto a frying pan._

 _Well, apparently, she wasn't a hallucination after all._

" _What the Hell!" Deanna screamed frantically running towards the creature, "Cas, stop! Stop!"_

 _The dragon, or whatever she was, obeyed, but the fire in the pan still burned. Deanna quickly grabbed the mini fire extinguisher she kept and sprayed the pan, quelling the fire. She turned to Castiel and exclaimed, "What the Hell are you doing here? How did you even get into my apparent?!" Then getting an eyeful of the maid's uniform, she had on, "And what are you wearing?"_

" _A maid's uniform." Castiel answered, pulling on the skirt, "At least according to my research. Do you like it?"_

" _Yeah, it's nice, I guess," Deanna began, "Whoa, back up a second. Research?"_

" _I needed to figure out exactly what a maid was." Castiel explained, "That's why it took me a few days to come back here. Then I had to find you again."_

" _But why?" Deanna asked, "Why did you have to research maids? Why did you have to come here and find me?"_

" _So, could be your maid." Castiel answered matter-of-factly._

" _What?!" Deanna exclaimed, still confused as ever._

" _I want to be your maid." Castiel explained, "To thank you for saving my life."_

" _What?!" Deanna repeated, "No, no, that's not going to work…"_

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **Present Day**

"And you can see I was not able to get rid of her." Deanna finished. When Cas suddenly looked crest-fallen and about to cry, she quickly added, "Oh, don't look like that. You know I like you now."

The dragon lunged at the human, hugging her, beaming, "I like you too Deanna!"

"Yeah, well, give us a minute and we'll leave you to your love-fest." Male Dean declared.

While Cas got Deanna some actual dinner, Sam and Dean put the spell together, Sam reading, "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

The wind picked up, causing a jar of black berry jam to fall off the counter making everyone chringe. Then they disappeared in their bright white light.

Deanna and Cas just stared at the broken jar for a moment. "I'll get the broom." Cas declared, walking off to where it was kept.

"Hold on." Deanna said, standing up, "I'll help you."


	126. Family Activites

**AN: Special thanks to Guest for this request.**

When they came to this time they found themselves tangled in a set of bushes. They started to untangle themselves when they heard the sound of gunfire.

They finished untangling themselves with a hurried urgency, then ran for the trees to cover themselves.

They peaked out to see a brown-eyed burette of about twelve years of age firing at a can on a nearby fence, that universe's version of Sam behind her.

 _Well, at least they're not firing at us._ Dean thought.

"God job, baby girl." That universe's version of Sam whispered to her.

"Thanks, dad." The girl replied, firing again.

Just then there was a sound of a car pulling up. A few seconds later, Dean appeared followed by a tawny-haired boy and a blonde girl, the boy a little older than Sam's daughter and the girl a little younger.

"Hey," The Dean of the universe called out, "I thought it was our turn."

"Can't we both do it today?" Sam's daughter asks hopefully.

The brothers of that universe exchanged looks. "If it's okay with your dad." Dean answered.

The girl looked up at her father hopefully.

"Sure." Sam replied, then looking at his brother, "You want help me set up some more cans?"


	127. A Twist In Time

Sam and Dean stayed still as their counter parts set up more cans. They had children again, but where had they come from? Where were their mothers? Why were they teaching them to shoot? Of course, regular people did use guns, but something about the whole affair told them that this was not the case. But they didn't think they would raise their children to be hunters.

 **Normal Illinois**

 **2013**

 _Henry was standing in front of the door which was drawned the symbol he used to get from 1958 until now. He heard something outside and turned around, seeing Dean coming towards the door._

 _Henry's eyes scanned the room franticly. That was he saw broom. He didn't remember seeing it before, but assumed he wasn't paying close attention. He grabbed the broom and used it barricade the door. "Sorry Dean." He whispered before going back and finishing the spell._

 **Normal Illinois**

 **1958**

 _Henry appeared in front of the jeweler's where the Men of Letters were hiding at that time. He walked up to the door and knocked on it twice, then once, then three times. It opened and he entered._

" _Aren't you a little early, sir?" The man who let him in asked._

" _Long story." Henry replied, "Have any of the others arrived yet?"_

" _Just the elders." The man answered, "Down the hall."_

" _Thank you." Henry said, walking in that direction._

 _However, before he could his destination he felt a hand on his shoulder, then suddenly he was pulled into an adjacent hallway, and turned to see a short man standing in front of him. "Don't talk, just listen." The man ordered, "Now, I know who you are, and I know what happened and I know what you're trying to do. It's a good idea, actually."_

" _Who are—" Henry began._

" _What did I say about not talking and just listening?" The man responded, "Look, here's what we're gonna do…"_

 **Normal Illinois**

 **1973**

" _And you're sure I look okay?" Mary Campbell asked, nervously fiddling at her hair and her clothes._

" _For the hundredth, time, you look fine." John assured her, "They're going to love you."_

" _What about your father?" Mary responded._

" _When he meets you, he won't be able to care." John replied, leaning and giving her a kiss._

 _Just then the door opened, revealing a man and a woman._

" _Mom, Dad," John began, "This is Mary. Mary these are my parents, Henry and Millie."_

" _Nice to meet you." Mary replied, "John's told me so many good things."_

" _And we've heard a lot of good things about you, too." Millie assured her, "Now, come on inside both of you."_

 _The meal went well. Mary was talkative and charming and his parents seemed to like her. Then Henry and John went off to get the desert, transparent pie, and coffee._

" _John- "Henry began, sitting the cups on a tray._

" _Pops, don't." John cut him off, "I know what you're going to say. Yes, she's a hunter. From a family a hunters. But she's also the bravest, kindest, most beautiful woman that I had never met, and I don't care what you, or the other think, but I'm going to marry her someday, and if you can't handle that then—though."_

" _Actually, I was going to say if you don't marry her, you're a fool." Henry replied, breaking into a small smile._

 _John smiled. "Well, then." He picked up the pie, "Good thing I've already started looking at rings, then."_

 **New Paltz, New York**

 **2006**

 _Dean was sitting at the bar table while Sam paced. They were on case and things were going wrong. Very wrong._

 _It all started when they linked the murders to a painting. They managed to steal it and burn it, but then when Dean dragged Sam out to say goodbye to art dealer's daughter, who for whatever reason Dean was trying to set him up with, (he did like her, but that was besides point), and somehow the painting had regenerated. Then it was sold, and before they could get there, the owner was dead. And the daughter of the dealer, Sarah, had saw the whole thing._

 _Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Sam opened it and Sarah stormed past him._

" _Hey." Sam said, "You alright?"  
"No, actually, I just lied to the cops and told them I went to Evelyn's, alone, and found her like that." Sarah responded clearly angry._

 _Dean smirked. Sam had got himself a spitfire there._

 _Sam just looked relieved that she hadn't told the cops about them. "Thank you."_

" _Don't thank me, I'm about to call them right back if you don't tell me what the Hell's going on." Sarah threatened, "Who's killing these people?"_

 _Sam looked at Dean, who just raised his eyebrows. The others would practically kill them, but neither could see another way out of this._

 _At last Sam said to Sarah, "What."_

" _What?" Sarah repeated as a question._

" _It's not 'who.'" Sam explained, "Its 'what' is killing these people."_

 _Sarah looked at Sam like he was insane._

 _Sam sighed. "Sarah, you saw that painting move."_

" _No…no I was…I was seeing things." Sarah denied, agitated, "It's impossible."_

" _Yeah, well, welcome to our world." Dean spoke up._

" _Sarah, I know this sounds crazy…but we think that that painting is haunted." Sam came out with it._

 _Sarah was sniggering but with tears in her eyes. "You're joking." She looked from one of them to the other. They both just stared at her. "You're not joking. God, the guys I go out with it."_

" _Sarah, think about it." Sam requested, "Evelyn, the Telesca's, they both had the painting. And there have been others before that. Wherever this thing goes, people die. "And we're just trying to stop it. And that's the truth."_

 _Sarah took a deep breath. "The I guess you'd better show me. I'm coming with you."_

" _What?" Sam balked, "No. Sarah, no, you should just go home. This stuff can get dangerous and…and I don't want you to get hurt."_

" _Look, you guys are probably crazy, but what if you're right about this?" Sarah reasoned, "Well, me and my Dad sold that painting that mighta got these people killed. Look, I'm not saying I'm not scared because I am scared as Hell, but…I'm not going to run and hide either." Sarah stride to the girl and when she realized she wasn't being followed, turned back, "So are we going or what?" Then she walked out._

" _Sam?" Dean spoke up._

 _Sam looked across to wear Dean was sitting._

 _Dean pointed to door after Sarah "Marry that girl."_

 **Town, State**

 **Five Months Later**

 _Dean drove up to the barn by an old green car. Figuring it was the vampire's he got out and made his way to the barn. That was when he heard a commotion from inside._

 _He ran to the barn and opened it, revealing a blonde in overalls, hacking at a man with an ax. He looked up at Dean and her eyes, widened. "Hey, man," She said franticly, "It's not what you think, this guy was…"_

" _A vampire." Dean finished for her, "Yeah, I know." He held up his own machete._

" _So, you too, huh?" The girl replied._

" _Yeah, though I usually don't use an ax." Dean informed her._

" _Well, one them put up a good fight, and, long story short, mine got stuck in the wall." She gestured over to where the hilt of the machete was sticking out, "I found this lying around so- "She extended her hand and said, "I'm Sylvie, Sylvie Hawkins."_

" _Dean Winchester." He responded, taking out a knife and cutting her arm, then cutting his own._

 _Sylvie's eyes widened. "No way," She beamed, "You're Dean Winchester? You?"_

" _Yep." Dean nodded, a bit afraid where this was going._

" _Oh my God!" Sylvie shrieked, geeking out, "Do you realized you're famous?!"_

" _I-I do now." Dean responded, still not sure what to make of this._

" _I mean, you bring up your family's name, people cross themselves." Sylvie continued, "I mean, other hunters are scared of you." After a second she added, "Hey, is it true your part some sort family of super-secret paranormal archivers, or something?"_

" _Something like that." Dean confessed, "So, is this all of them?"_

" _Yeah." Sylvie answered._

" _Well, then." Dean said, "It looks like you could still use a little help with the clean-up."_

 _As they disposed of the body Dean learned the Sylvie didn't have a place to stay while in town, and it was so late by the time they got done that Dean insisted she come back to the motel with him._

" _No, it's fine." Sylvie insisted, "I'll just drive until I fine somewhere safe to pull over."_

" _Sylvie." Dean replied, "It's dark, it's late, you just slaughtered a whole nest of vampires by yourself and you're covered with blood. The world's not gonna end if you take the night off."_

 _Sylvie nervously put a strain of hair behind her ear. "Here's the thing," She began, "I, ah, I don't actually have enough money to pay for a place to sleep."_

" _Then I'll cover you." Dean offered, "Or you can have my room and I'll figure something else out."_

" _I don't like to be beholden to people." Sylvie explained._

" _Well, you just made my job a lot easier by taking out these vamps for me." Dean reasoned, "So, if you don't let me do this, I'll be beholdento you."_

" _Well," Sylvie smiled at him, "We wouldn't want that to happen, would we?" Plus, she figured hanging out with a Winchester, at least for an eving, gave her some bragging rights._

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **Six Months Later**

 _Sam looked down the aisle nervously. No one coming up. Where was she is?_

" _Due, calm down." Dean whispered over to his brother, sensing his anxiety, "The bridesmaids literally just got down here. Give the bride a minute. No one's getting jilted at the altar."_

" _Jilted?" Sam repeated, as it didn't seem like a word his big brother would use._

" _Sylvie taught it to me." Dean whispered back, before smiling at his girlfriend who was across the way in a lacy blue bridesmaid's dress._

 _Suddenly the organ music stopped and Sarah and her father came into view, the wedding march starting as they walked down the aisle…_

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **Two Years Later**

" _Dean, this isn't really necessary." Sylvie insisted as Dean wheeled her through the halls, "I can walk."_

" _Sylvie, you just pushed a nine-pound baby out of your body." Dean reminded, as if she could forget, "So, you probably should wait a little bit to be getting up."_

 _When they got to the window in the NICU Sam and the others were already there. "Hey, should you be out of bed yet?" Sam asked._

" _Hence the wheelchair." Dean explained._

" _Yes, I have one little baby and suddenly I'm a china doll." Sylvie snarked good-naturedly._

" _Well, not exactly a little baby." Dean replied, rolling her to the window and pointing their son out, "I think that's him there."_

 _The group gathered to where he pointed. "Aw," Mary crooned, "John, look at him."_

" _The spitting image of his dad." John beamed._

" _Except for his noise." Dean said, leaning down next to Sylvie, "That adorable thing is his mother's." Then he kissed her on the forehead._

 **Lawrence, Kansas**

 **Present Day**

Dean's daughter, who from what they had gathered was called Hilola, fired at the last can, sending it to the ground.

"Good job, baby girl." Dean said before checking in his watch, "Looks like we need to get going, before your mom flips out."

"Us, too." The Sam of that universe agreed.

The boys waited at their counterparts and their children had packed up their gear and waited until the sounds of engine faded, then quickly started to put the spell together.

However, before they could finish there was another bright light, and two figures metalized in front of them.

Abaddon and Henry Winchester tumbled down in front of them.


	128. Help Arrives, Then Departs

They all stared at each other for a moment, frozen in their spots.

"What did you do?!" Abaddon demanded.

"Went back to future with you." Dean answered.

As Dean talked, Sam took a bullet and began to franticly crave a Devil's Trap into the bullet as quickly and discreetly as he could.

"What?!" Both Henry and Abaddon balked at about the same time.

"Right, you don't know what that is." Dean responded, his eyes darting over to Sam.

Sam put the bullet in the chamber, then revealed his weapon and before anyone could react, shot Abaddon in the head.

The demand started to laugh, pinning Henry to ground. However, before she could go for the killing blow, Dean pulled out his blade and cut her head off, which was kind of distracting for her.

As Henry threw her failing body off of her, Abaddon tried to smoke out, only to find she couldn't. "What the Hell did you do to me?!"

"Devil's trap in the bullet." Dean explained intensely, slicing off the demon's arm, "Sam, can you find some concrete while me and Henry finish dismembering her?"

"Sure." Sam answered, running off to find the needed materials.

An hour later the Winchester trio was burying the last of Abaddon into a square of concrete.

"Well, that's one way to take care of that." Henry commented.

"So, what are you gonna do now?" Dean asked, "How do you get back to your own time again? I mean, from what we gathered I'm assuming you did."

"Yes, thought I am not sure how I got back here." Henry admitted.

"That was me." A voice said behind them.

They all turned around to see a certain trickster looking rather pleased with himself.

"Of course, it's you." Dean said. Was it just him or was this guy less annoying when he _wasn't_ trying to help him?

"Yeah, it looks like he needed the help." The trickster explained taking Henry by the arm, "And now if you excuse me, I am going to drop Henry back off in his time, and no one will be any the wiser."

Before anyone could say anything, they were off.

"We could use a little help here too, you know!" Dean called out, then turned to his brother, "Come on, Sam, I think the spell's still ready."

They walked back to the woods and found the completed spell, right where they left it. Dean picked up the book and read, "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem at…"


	129. Castle In The Sky

**AN: Special thanks to guests for this request. Also, Happy Thanksgiving everybody!**

When they came to this time they foundthemelves on a beach, and could hear the sound of plane popellors overhead.

They looked up to see hundreds of old-fashioned helicopters, coming into a nearby port. And, rising up above them all, was something else.

It looked almost like a very small, on top of which stood a castle of smooth gray stones, with eight towers, asending into the sky.

"Is that…" Dean began.

"A flying castle." Sam confirmed.


	130. Castiel's Moving Castle

**AN: I've never actually seen this movie, read the book and only had time to work off a Wikipedia summery. Apologies in advance.**

 **Dean's Village**

 **A Week Earlier**

 _Dean's hands were overloaded with supplies as he walked through the streets. "Excuse me," He called out, barely avoiding walking into another person on the street, "Pardon me." He said to another. Suddenly the pile started to sway, when suddenly someone in front of him he couldn't see held it up for him. "Thanks."_

" _It's my pleasure." The person, said, stepping back and revealing a dark-haired man with piercing blue eyes._

" _Ah, hi." Dean said nervously, "I've, ah, never seen you around before."_

" _Well, I don't usually come down here." The man explained, "I'm actually here to visit my sister, Anna. Actually, you wouldn't happen to know where she lives, would you?"_

 _Dean thought moment then asked, "Anna Milton?"_

" _Yes." The man answered, "Can you tell me where she lives?"_

" _I can do better than that," Dean replied, "I can show you."_

" _Oh, that's not really necessary," The man tried to polite decline, "I don't want to take up too much of your time- "_

" _It'd be my pleasure." Dean assured him, before leading him away. "I'm Dean, by the way."_

" _Castiel." The man introduced himself as they walked together._

 _When they got to Anna's house, she was very happy to see her brother._

" _You didn't have to come." Anna declared, hugging Castiel, "I at least hope you didn't have any trouble finding me."_

" _Just a little, but um," He glanced over to Dean, "I had help."_

 _Anna pulled away from her brother. "Thank you, Mr. Winchester." She said, "Thank you so much."_

" _It was my pleasure." Dean said, before walking away to go about his business._

" _Maybe I'll see around?" Castiel called out._

 _Dean turned around. "Sure."_

 _When he returned home from work, he saw a woman in front of his hat making shop. She had long, wavy red hair, and was elegancy clothed in a purple dress._

 _Thinking she might be a potential costumer, and a wealthy one at that, Dean put on his friendlies smile and said, walking up to her, "Hello, ma'am, how can I help you?"_

" _Well," The woman replied, sauntering over to him, "You can start by explaining your relationship with the warlock you were with this morning."_

" _Warlock?" Dean repeated, sincerely not knowing what she was talking about._

" _The gentlemen in the trench coat you were with this afternoon." The woman elaborated._

" _Castiel?" Dean responded, "Oh, I just met him. I have no relationship with him. I mean, he was nice. And cute. A little weird." What Dean said next was more to himself than the women, "Maybe if I saw him again I'd ask if he wanted to go out- "_

 _That was enough for a woman to act. She raised her hands in the air and suddenly there was crack of lightening, and suddenly Dean was in terrible pain. He put his hands on his face, going to his knees, when he removed his hands, they were wrinkled and spotted. He raised his head to look at the women, the witch, he realized, but she was gone._

 **Countryside**

 **The Next Day**

 _Dean wasn't sure how long he had been walking._

 _After realizing what had happened, Dean set out to the country to find a way to break the curse, as he knew the many warlocks and witches lived in the country. So far, his search had been fruitless, but he hadn't gotten that far yet._

" _Excuse me, sir." A voice called out. Dean turned to the field where he thought it had come from only to see no one except a scarecrow._

" _So, on top of everything else I'm hearing things." Dean mumbled to himself, continuing to walk._

" _Excuse me, sir." The voice called out again._

 _He turned around again and this time to his utter shock saw the scarecrow getting down from the posts holding it up. "It's alright," The scarecrow assured him, "I'm harmless. You just looked like you needed some help. Are you lost?"_

" _Somewhat." Dean answered, getting his bearing back, "A which put a spell on me and now I'm looking for witch or warlock who could help me break it."_

" _I know just the guy." The scarecrow declared, "There's a warlock by the name of Castiel, not too far from here."_

 _Dean blinked. "I'm sorry, did you just say Castiel?"_

" _Yes." The scarecrow confirmed, "I'll take you to him."_

 _The scarecrow lead Dean down the road until they came to a magnificent castle that floated just above the ground._

" _Whoa." Dean gasped in spite of himself._

" _It's a sight, I know." The scarecrow said, "I have to leave you here, but if you go up to the door and knock, Castiel or his apprentice will let you in."_

" _Thanks." Dean said, walking up to the door as the scarecrow walked away. Reaching on his tip-toes he knocked on the door. He opened and slender young mad with dark brown hair opened the door._

" _You must be Castiel's apprentice." Dean guessed._

" _Yes, I'm Samandriel." The boy confirmed, "And you are?"_

" _Dean Winchester." He answered, "I need to talk yo your boss. Ah, may I come in?"_

" _Certainly." Samandriel replied, stepping back and gesturing for him to come in._

 _As Dean walked in, a voice called out, "Samandriel? Samandriel! Exactly who are letting into this house?"_

 _Dean looked around from the source of the voice and saw a ball of fire with eyes, staring at him._

" _And what exactly are you staring at?" The fire ball inquired of him._

" _Crowley, be nice." Samandriel scolded, "We have a guest." Then he turned to Dean and introduced the friends, "Dean, this Crowley. He's the fire demon and the source of the castle's energy and magic."_

" _Nice to meet you." Dean said awkwardly._

" _Old man, I am a terrifying fire demon!" Crowley spat back, "There is nothing 'nice' about me. You should be trembling in terror right now!"_

" _Yes, Crowley, we get it, you're very terrifying." A voice Dean recognized as Cas said, then warlock himself stepped out of the shadow, "But, who are you sir, and how did you get in?"_

" _Crowley let me in." Dean lied quickly._

" _What?!" Crowley balked, "I did- "_

" _And I am, Dean, your new house keeper." Dean continued. What? Why did he say that? That didn't help the situation!_

 _Still, he didn't correct him._

 **Castiel's Moving Castle**

 **Two Days Later**

 _Dean was sweeping the floor when there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it." He called out, walking that direction._

 _When Dean opened the door, there was a man in a grey and red uniform standing outside. "Castiel Milton?" He asked, looking surprised._

" _I'm his house keeper." Dean answered, "May I ask what this is regarding?"_

 _The uniformed man formally handed Dean a folded piece of paper. "This is a message from the King for him."_

 _That caught Dean by surprise. "The King?"_

" _Yes." The uniformed man confirmed, nodding._

" _Like the King-King?" Dean asked._

" _Yes." The uniformed man replied, sounding somewhat exasperated._

 _Who the Hell was Dean working for? "I'll see that he gets this, thank you." He said, then shut the door._

 _When Castiel read the letter he immediately started freaking out._

" _No, no, no, no," He moaned, pacing back and forth, "This can't be happening."_

" _What is it?" Samandriel asked, scared, "What does it say?"_

" _The King has summoned me to fight in the war." Castiel explained._

" _But you're not a solider." Dean said, confused._

" _Oh, really?" Crowley snarked, "I never would've guessed."_

" _He doesn't want me for my fighting skills." Castiel explained, "He wants me for my magic. A powerful enough magician could decimate the entire enemy side."_

" _Ah, what's the problem here?" Dean asked, "You could end the war before it even starts. Wouldn't that be a good thing?"_

 _Castiel was quiet for a moment, closed his eyes, and sighed. "Dean," He said finally, "Do you have any idea why the kingdoms are going to war?"_

 _Dean thought a moment. "No."_

" _Exactly." Castiel responded, "And if two kingdoms don't know why they're going to war, then they shouldn't go to war, much less destroy each other with warlocks. I won't do it."_

" _Well, what are you going to do? "Dean asked._

 _Castiel turned to look at me. "You go to the castle." He requested, "Tell them you're my father and you came to inform them that I am too much of coward to fight."_

" _Do you really think that's going to work?" Crowley snarked._

" _It's all I have." Castiel responded, "Dean, pack a bag and met me in the foyer."_

 _Later, Dean was waiting at the door when Castiel descended the stairs. When they met, the warlock pulled out a small circle of gold._

" _Cas, are you proposing to me?" Dean asked._

" _Dean, that your greatly inaprotiate." Cas responded, "Among others thing you are my employee…"_

" _Ah, Cas," Dean began," I was kidding."_

" _Oh," Cas said, "This ring will connect you with Crowley, in case you need help."_

" _Thank you, Cas." Dean replied, as the warlock slipped the ring on his finger._

" _Thank_ you, Dean _." Castiel responded, "For doing this."_

 **The Castle**

 **Two Days Later**

 _Dean was lead into a room where a woman in a gray pantsuit, her brown hair tied back in a bun, stood with her back to him._

" _You're not the king." Dean declared nervously._

 _The woman turned around, saying, "Oh, no, I'm not the King. I'm just his advisor, Madame Naomi. Though, you aren't you I was expecting either."_

" _I'm Cas-Castiel's father." Dean lied, "I came here to tell you he's too much of coward too fight."_

" _Oh, really?" Naomi responded, sounding like she didn't really believe Dean, "Is that so?"_

" _Yeah," Dean continued, "He ran away. I have no clue where he is and I myself am not a warlock so I am in no position to help you. I'm sorry."_

" _No need for apologies." Another female voice said. A figure walked out of the shadows, revealing the woman who had cursed Dean in the first place as she declared, "We already have one witch."_

 _Dean's eyes widened in surprise panic. "You!"_

" _You!" The witch repeated, unpleasantly surprised._

" _Rowena," Naomi began, "You know this man?"_

 _Suddenly Rowena looked alarmed, then said, "No, my Lord. I've never seen him before in my life."_

 _Naomi smiled without warmth. "You know what I think?" She asked, walking around the room, "I think you're lying to me." She stopped at a crystal on her desk and stroke it with her hand, "And you know what I do to people who lie to me."_

 _The witch, Rowena, started to panic, pleading, "No, please don't!"_

 _Naomi played no attention to her pleads, knocking over the crystal, causing it to crash into a million pieces on the floor._

 _What happened next happened in seconds: Rowena put her hands to her face, screaming in pain as she shriveled before Dean's eyes, her skin wrinkling, and her hair graying. When it was all done she was a helpless elderly lady._

" _What did you do to her?!" Dean demanded._

" _Oh, just drained her of her power." Naomi explained in a falsely modest tone, "It's a, rather complicated process, but I'm been preparing for serval witches and warlocks. Including your 'son', so why don't you just go back to him and tell him what I just did to her will happen to him too unless he fights. And on our side."_

" _You can 't!" Dean protested, "He's a good man! He's just trying to stop everyone was killing each other! He rather died than help slaughter either side, and-and- "While he didn't realize it, in that moment he had returned to his true form and age._

" _Oh," Naomi responded, "This explains some things." She looked over to Rowena and commented, "Got a little jealous, did you?" Looking back at Dean he continued, "And not without reason. You have feelings for him, don't you?"_

" _I don't know what you're talking about." Dean denied, unwilling to give this monster anything._

" _I think you do." Naomi replied, smiling evilly, "And I wonder if he feels the same way. Guards!"_

 _Two guards burst in, grabbing him by each arm._

" _Hey, let go of me!" Dean protested._

" _Throw him in the dungeon for now." Naomi ordered, "If Castiel ever wants to him again, he'll do what I want him to."_

" _No!" Dean protested struggling to get away._

 _Just then, some seeming nowhere, a giant dark-colored bird swooped in, knocking all three of them to the ground. Dean looked up and through there was something familiar in the bird's blue eyes._

" _Cas?" Dean asked aloud._

 _Naomi began chanting in strange language and suddenly a net came down on Castiel. Dean rushed to him, pulling off the net. Castiel got up, putting Dean on his back. He took flight, grabbing Rowena's sleeve with his beak as he went through a window._

 **Castiel's Castle**

 **A Few Minutes Later**

 _Castiel burst through the doors, setting Rowena down as he landed. As Dean got off, Samandriel came running up to them. "What happened?" The appliance asked._

" _We were set up." Dean explained, "I think. Cas got us out."_

 _As they were talking, Cas began to transform back into a human, but one of his arms remained a wing._

" _Ah, Cas," Dean began, "Is there something wrong?"_

" _It's gets harder to transform back into a man every time." Cas explained as the feather finally began to shrink back._

" _How many times have you done this?" Dean asked._

" _Several times." Cas answered, "I've been using this form to interfere in both sides from this war, trying to stop from beginning in the first place. Now I fear that I might have failed."_

 _There was a moment of silence interrupted by a knock at the door._

" _I'll get it." Samandriel volunteered, running out of the room._

" _Sure, the kingdom's forces could be on us at any second, but go ahead, answer the door." Crowley snarked._

" _Crowley, now is not the time." Cas snapped then turned to look at Dean and realized what had happened. "It's you. The boy from my sister's village. But how?"_

 _Dean explained everything that had happened. When he was done, Cas was glaring at Rowena._

" _You were spying on me for that maniac?" Cas demanded._

" _She wanted to know if you would help her willingly." Rowena tried to explain, her voice taking on a seething edge as she continued, "And then I saw you with him and…"_

" _Rowena, we dated for a few weeks ninety years ago." Cas responded, an edge him voice, "I'm allowed to move on."_

" _Whoa, hold up wait a second." Dean cut in, "Are you telling me I got screwed because you have a crazy ex-girlfriend?!"_

" _Basically, yes." Castiel answered apological, "And I am so sorry for that. Now that you have been restored, I think you should get yourself to safety."_

" _Screw that," Dean responded, "I'm in this now."_

 _Before Cas could responded, Samnderial reentered the room. "There's a young man outside claiming to be Dean's younger brother."_

 _Cas turned to look at Dean. "Dean, do you have a younger brother?"_

" _Yes, Sam." Dean replied, "I left a note for him explaining what happened before I set out."_

" _Well, I'm sure he's still worried." Cas reasoned, "Show him in Samandriel."_

 _Dean realized something was wrong with his brother, the moment he walked in. For one thing, his movements were stiff, almost robotic as he walked in and was sat in a chair by Samadriel._

" _I know you're probably pissed," Dean began, "I shouldn't have run off on you like that, but there wasn't anything you could do about it, and I wasn't even sure what to do about it. I know could have handled this better and I'm sorry."_

" _It's alright." Sam assured him in a hollow voice._

 _Dean was silent a moment, not sure what to make of his brother's behavior. "So, how did you find me?"_

" _I followed …your…tracks." Sam answered, almost mechanically._

 _In addition to how strange it sounded, the explanation made no sense. So, Dean decided to test his brother. "Look, ah, I know you probably want me to come back with you, but I can't. There's some stuff going on and I have to help Cas stop it."_

" _Actually, Dean," Cas spoke up, "I think I would be best if you left with your brother…"_

" _I'll leave you to it, then." Sam cut them off, standing up._

" _Okay, then." Dean said slowly, getting up as well, "I'll show you out.'_

 _Dean lead his brother to the door and turned and looked at him. 'I'll get word to you when it's done."_

" _Alright," Sam replied still sounding like a zombie as he stepped outside._

 _Dean shut the door and immediately turned around. "That bitch did something to my brother." He declared, marching towards the others._

" _Come with me," Cas responded urgently, leading him back to the parlor._

" _We need to search this room." Cas declared, pulling a cushion out of a chair, "He could have placed some sort of bug anywhere."_

 _Rowena grabbed something from the chair Sam had been sitting in and held it in the air, revealing an insect that looked something like a lady bug. "In this case, literally." She declared before tossing it into Crowley._

" _Have you lost your mind?!" Cas demanded, rushing the former witch and shaking her, "We have no idea what that could do to him!"_

" _He's a fire demon." Rowena responded, in case Castiel had forgotten, "What's the worst that could happen?"_

" _Uh," Crowley moaned, as if on cue, "I don't feel so good…"_

" _That's the worst that could happen." Cas declared."_

 _The next hours were painfully slow as Crowley sickened and weakened before their eyes, until he became unable to protect the castle. Then the bombing started._

 _Cas had his hand over Crowley, emitting a bright light as he healed him, as Naomi's forces tried to break down the door._

" _Cas, you need to go." Dean insisted, shaking the warlock, "If they capture you, it's all over."_

" _I won't leave you unprotected." Cas responded, pulling Dean off of him._

 _Dean realized what was going on. Sure, Cas was trying to protect him, but he was also trying to protect Samandriel, and Crowley, and even Rowena and the rest of the castle._

" _Alright, then," Dean declared, grabbing Crowley from the fireplace before anyone could stop him, ignoring the burning in his fingers, "Let's head on out."_

 _Suddenly the entire castle began to shake._

" _What the Hell was that?!" Dean demanded._

" _The demons must have been attached to the castle." Rowena began, then her voice trailed off, then her eyes widened in realization. "Oh, you gave him you heart, didn't you Castiel?" Then Rowena reached out and grabbed the fire demon from Dean._

" _Hey!" Crowley protested._

" _Traitor!" Dean called out, douching the witch with water and in the process, Crowley. Which, considering that he was a fire demon was not a good thing._

 _The ground started to rumble, splitting in two, and Dean fell in, listening in horror as the others screamed his name._

 _Dean landed on the ground and huddled into a ball, thinking he was as good as dead. Then something started to glow on his hand. He looked up and realized it was his ring. He stood up and began to follow it, hoping to find a way out of the darkness._

 _He followed the ring until the dark faded and Dean found himself in a field, a figure that looked like Cas, only younger standing in front of him._

" _Cas!" Dean called out._

 _But as this was the past, Castiel couldn't hear him, looking down at the weak flame in his hand._

" _It's alright little guy." Cas was saying, "I have just the thing." He said a spell and they both started to glow red._

 _What did he just witness?_

" _I just gave you my heart." Cas explained to Crowley, "It saved you, but now we'll be bound indefinitely, and I'll be trapped at this age, emotionally at least, forever."_

" _You'll going to regret that." Crowley warned._

 _Suddenly knowing what to do, Dean found himself on the floor again, next to Rowena, Samandriel and Crowley. Dean grabbed the fire demon and walked off, calling, "Cas!"_

 _When the group found Castiel he was in his bird form._

" _You can't change back, can you?" Dean asked._

 _Cas shook his head._

" _I have something that can help with that." Dean said, then handed Crowley back to Rowena, "Give Cas back his heart. Crowley can live without it now."_

" _And what makes you think I do that?" Rowena challenged._

" _We know you can." Samderial added in, "So just do it."_

 _Rowena sighed, "Fine." Then she started to admit a red glow, as did Crowley and Castiel._

 _A few moments later, Castiel transformed back into a man, hugging Dean. "Thank you." He declared, "Thank you so much."_

" _It was my pleasure." Dean said, as they broke the imprace, "So what happens now."_

" _Well, making a castle without Crowley will be difficult, but…" Cas began._

" _Who says you have to do anything without me, mate?" Crowley cut in, "I've kind of gotten attached to you."_

" _Alright, then," Cas said, "Let's get to it."_

 **Dean's Village**

 **A Day Later**

 _Dean came walking up the steps of the castle with Sam._

" _Got every ready?" Cas asked from the doorway where he was waiting for them._

 _Now everything was happening fast. The war was over, but Dean had to face Sam who now that was he was un-mind controlled was furious at Dean. But somehow, he managed to talk Sam into moving in with Cas too._

" _Are you sure you wanna do this?" Dean asked, "I mean, all of us here?"_

 _Cas responded by kissing Dean on the forehead. "I wouldn't have it any other way."_

 _With that, the castle rose into the sky, surrounded by returning boomer planes._

 **Dean's Village**

 **Right Now**

Realizing they likely weren't going to get answers about what was going on, as their alternates were nowhere to be found the boys prepared the spell then Sam read aloud, "Skicka dessa fiender härifrån till andra världar tills jag kalla dem att återvända."

And with that, light surrounded them and they took off.


End file.
